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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27142339">Log Entry XXXXXX</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/harrylee94/pseuds/harrylee94'>harrylee94</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Among Us (Video Game), Sanders Sides (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>And because of Remus, Angst, Blood, Blood and Gore, Eventual Happy Ending, Expect some strong language at some point, Gore, He has an active imagination, Human Sides (Sanders Sides), M/M, Mature because of the gore!, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parasites, Sort Of, Suspicion, Temporary Character Death, Time Loop, You Have Been Warned, but they're human in this so..., probably, slightly ooc sides, symbiots, there will be more detailed warnings in chapter notes when necessary</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 21:20:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>32,108</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27142339</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/harrylee94/pseuds/harrylee94</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A new space station, complete with the most high spec and up to date technology there is to offer, has been set up at the edge of the known universe, a new way point for explorers to keep in contact with the rest of the human race. It has been carefully designed by the best scientists and engineers Earth could offer, and now 7 brave souls are being sent out to ensure everything works perfectly.</p><p>However, when Logan wakes from cryosleep from the journey, he is informed that several things are now in need of repair, though everything had been in perfect working condition when the station had been reconstructed before he and his crew had arrived. They will have to solve the problems they've been left with before the station is up and running, and yet Logan can't help but feel he's done this before...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders &amp; Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>50</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Log Entry #1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/703942">Sanders Sides Among Us AU</a> by @fangirltothefullest.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For those of you who don't know, this story is based off of a comic by fangirltothefullest over on Tumblr and I HIGHLY recommend you check them out on the link above! Their art is AMAZING.<br/>To those coming here from the Tumblr world; welcome! I hope you enjoy this disastrous story as much I do!</p><p>Note to everyone before we begin; there will be graphic descriptions of gore, dismemberment, possibly torture, and any other awful things that come with the territory of writing a story in an Among Us universe.</p><p>Now that's over with; on with the show!</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Our 7 new adventurers arrive at Sanders Station.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">Stardate: October 17th XX20. 6:00 AM</span>
</p><p>Logan blinked his eyes open as the dim light of the cryodeck slowly brightened, emulating the rising of the sun back on Earth and offering a gentle escape from his induced hibernation. He waited patiently as his body began to realise that it was awake again and started to carefully move each digit. The tingle of pins and needles washed over him like a wave, but he'd been expecting it; he had taken the chance to research the effects that cryosleep would leave on the body, and had found it quite a fascinating read. Apparently it was very similar to freezing meat the preserve it, but the science behind it meant that the human body would be kept alive throughout the process, just severely slowed down, so when the process was reversed the human body had to take some time to recover. Hence the pins and needles.</p><p>He was just starting to curl his hands into fists when he heard the thud and slap of a body hitting the floor nearby, shortly followed by a long, low groan.</p><p>"You're supposed to wait until your blood flow has returned to normal," Logan said, his voice cracking for disuse.</p><p>The groan sounded again, followed by the sound of whoever it was who had decided that getting out of the pod immediately was a good idea crawling closer before a blurred dark head of hair with a streak of white revealed itself over the edge. Logan frowned.</p><p>"I thought Virgil was supposed to be in the same chamber as me."</p><p>Remus pouted. "Aw, don't you love me anymore, Ana-Logie?"</p><p>Logan raised an eyebrow at him at the nickname. "We were given specific cryochambers in which we were to be stored during our journey here. I can recall quite clearly that you were supposed to be with Roman while Virgil had been positioned next to myself."</p><p>Remus blew a raspberry at him and folded his arms over the edge of Logan's resting place, setting his chin on them. "Since when do I do what I'm told?"</p><p>That was a good point. "Then where is Virgil?"</p><p>"We swapped," Remus replied, biting his lip as he looked Logan up and down. "I didn't want to end up burning in an oxygen fuelled explosion and disappearing into the empty void of space unless it was by your side."</p><p>Logan smiled softly up at him and pulled his still tingling arm up to cup his cheek, humming when Remus leaned into it. "It is highly unlikely that we would have died in our journey. Everything was monitored by several A.I. systems, all of which have been tested on hundreds of previous missions. The chances of failure were miniscule."</p><p>"But it was possible," Remus said, his grin stretching the way it always did when he was thinking of something disturbing. "The cryochambers could have malfunctioned, turning us into frozen chickens, and we would have shattered into a thousand pieces when the chambers tipped over, which would have melted and we would have been all these bloody bits of bone and flesh, all mixing all over the floor, like a swamp where all the fish have died and it's turned the water rancid, and then the maggot and flies would have feasted on--"</p><p>Logan pulled himself up and shut him up with a kiss, making Remus freeze for a second before relaxing into him. Fingers wove into his hair, and the scientist sighed into Remus's mouth before pulling away, eliciting a moan from the man. "We didn't. We're fine. We are both awake and alive, and it is time we change."</p><p>"But I like you in skin tight latex," Remus said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.</p><p>"It would be more accurate to call this a synthetic polymer," Logan told him, pushing himself into a seated position and reaching past Remus for the glasses that had been stored in the side of the cryochamber, slipping them onto his nose he gave Remus an expectant look. "You know the only reason we would have been awoken would be that our arrival to the Station was imminent. I would much prefer it if you were wearing the correct safety gear for when we arrive."</p><p>"But wouldn't it be interesting to see what it was like for a human body to be exposed to the vacuum of space?" Remus asked, only to cackle when Logan pushed his face away.</p><p>"Get changed, Remus."</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span class="u">Stardate: October 17th XX20. 7:04 AM</span>
</p><p>Logan shifted the weight of his helmet under his arm as he headed towards the depressurisation chamber, the ship itself having docked only a few minutes after he and presumably everyone else had been awoken. Remus had taken every chance he could get to distract him and slow him down, so his usual twenty minute change into his suit had been prolonged, and he hadn't noticed the message until he was almost out the door.</p><p>Each member of the team had a set of keys, a security card and a tablet. Normally Logan would have checked the tablet for any news as soon as he had awoken, but it was only now he was stepping through the last door that he was reading the most recent message.</p><p>"Wasn't it supposed to be brand, spanking new?" Remus asked from where he was reading over Logan's shoulder. "Just spanking new?"</p><p>"Yes, that was the case," Logan said with a sigh, putting the tablet away in its pouch as the door closed behind him.</p><p>They were the last to arrive, as he had expected, and he did not appreciate the smug look that Janus was sending their way from where he was lounging in one of the seats near to a crate of supplies. Virgil was currently being led by Patton through some breathing exercises on the other side of the room while Roman rubbed his back in comfort. Orange was, as always, minding his own business, scrolling through his own tablet in the corner, his helmet beside him and ready to go. Remus immediately took the opportunity to flop on his friend in the yellow suit, much to Janus's chagrin, and Logan sighed.</p><p>"I take it everyone is aware of the situation we currently find ourselves in," he said, looking at each of them to observe their reactions before continuing. "It seems that the Station has been damaged in transit, so it will be our main focus in the upcoming days to repair the systems. It shouldn't take more than a day I expect."</p><p>"But what... What if it was something else?" Virgil asked between breaths, his eyes deeply shadowed despite the long sleep. "What if it was sabotage?"</p><p>"Yeah," Remus agreed with his usual grin. "What if it was the engineers who built it; maybe they made it to malfunction and kill us all! Or it could be a new HAL 9000, ready to blast us off into space one by one. Or maybe aliens-!"</p><p>Janus shoved him off his lap, shutting him up before Roman, who had been turning an alarming shade that almost matched his suit, could step in, Virgil's breathing becoming more erratic with each suggestion.</p><p>"The likelihood of it being anything other than some damage caused by transit is slim to none," Logan told them, adjusting his glasses. "I assure you, there is no reason to be afraid."</p><p>"And I shall be there to protect you," Roman said, placing a hand on his chest and posing as much as he could without removing himself from Virgil's side. "As is my sworn duty. No harm shall come to you as long as I am by your side."</p><p>Virgil did not look entirely convinced, but he nodded all the same, smiling at the flamboyant display.</p><p>"Either way, as we are all now here and have presumably taken a sufficient and healthy breakfast, shall we proceed?" Logan suggested.</p><p>Patton raised a hand.</p><p>"You don't have to raise your hand to speak, Patton."</p><p>"Oh, well then," the man in the light blue suit said with a happy grin. "I was just wondering if chocolate chip pancakes were healthy."</p><p>Logan blinked at him. "How can you-?"</p><p>"Yes, Pat, they're perfectly healthy!" Roman exclaimed, pulling Virgil towards the door. "Now let's go!"</p><p>Orange huffed and rose to his feet as he donned his helmet. "We're all ready, Blue."</p><p>"Yes, well," Logan said, adjusting his glasses one last time before twisting his own helmet into place. "I suppose so. Helmets everyone."</p><p>"Do we have to?" Remus moaned from where he'd been rolling around on the floor. "Wouldn't it be more fun if we-?"</p><p>"Put on the damn helmet, you rat in human form," Janus almost hissed, kicking him in the side for good measure. Remus laughed but put his helmet on, being the very last to do so, and shot up to his feet where he bounced in place as he waited, like a child on a sugar high.</p><p>The doors hissed as they opened, sliding apart to reveal the Sanders Space Station, the hallways near spotless and the lights bright and clean. It was almost like stepping into an Ikea or a show room, even coming with the smell of disinfectant, but a lot more technical. Having memorised the map over breakfast, Logan led the way through the maze of corridors to the cafeteria, as good a place as any to be called a base of operations, and stood by the central table as he waited for the six others to gather around. From the looks of it the integrity of the walls seemed intact, and nothing serious was wrong, as they knew, but still, it was better to err on the side of caution while they had yet to determine the status of the air.</p><p>"I thought we already had breakfast" Orange said, looking around in confusion.</p><p>"I thought it would be a good idea to set up a-" Logan pulled out his tablet and looked through his notes, "-'home base'. There are many tasks for us to do and I believe it would be more efficient if we split up to achieve them as quickly as possible."</p><p>"Because there is no 'I' in 'team'!" Patton agreed with a bright smile.</p><p>"Correct, you do not spell 'team' with the letter 'I'," Logan agreed with a nod, ignoring how several of the others snickered. "Now, from the list that has been sent to each of our tablets I can see that the Reactor has yet to be started, so I would suggest that Orange, as the most qualified with such things, would be perfect for the task." Orange hummed. "The engine would be a good place for you to move once you have completed that. Patton, I would suggest you take charge everything in Navigation, and Janus can take charge of tasks in Communications."</p><p>"I take it I've got the Medbay?" Virgil asked, his arms wrapped around himself, something he tended to do when he couldn't put his hands into his pockets.</p><p>"I'll go with you, Charlie Frown," Roman said, nudging him with his elbow.</p><p>"Actually, Roman, I was hoping you could-" Logan began but Roman waved him off.</p><p>"I will continue to ensure the safety of this vessel at Virgil's side," he said. "There's no need to worry, Specs."</p><p>"... Indeed," Logan drawled, turning to Remus at his side. "In which case, you can be in charge of the Weapons section. You and Roman can decide who can tackle the other sections that involve the security of the station."</p><p>As expected, Remus pulled him in for a hug, their helmets banging together as he tried to squeeze him through the fabric. "You're the best, my bleeding, puss riddled heart."</p><p>"Is there anything else we will be needed for in the near future?" Janus asked as the others either made disgusted faces as Remus's nickname or snorted as Logan tried to extricate himself from his partner's grasp.</p><p>"Uh, I just want you all to know that, should you come across any problems you come across that you believe will need a group effort, just set off the beacon in our suits and we can all meet back here. Any other tasks -- Remus would you put me down -- any other tasks you can do would be helpful."</p><p>"Sounds good," Orange said and spun on the spot, heading towards the reactor with a lazy wave over his shoulder. Roman and Virgil followed him soon after, the Medbay between the cafeteria and the reactor, and Janus went on his own towards the Communications room.</p><p>"Isn't this exciting?" Patton asked with a bounce. "I'm <em>over the moon</em> about everything!"</p><p>Logan sighed. It was going to be a long day.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span class="u">Stardate: October 17th XX20. 11:27 AM</span>
</p><p>Logan had spent the better part of four hours trying to ensure that the oxygen filter was in correct working condition, along with all the wiring and such, but at last he felt he could safely say that it was up and running. For the last half an hour he'd been checking the oxygen levels in the Station and was pleasantly surprised to find that they had always been capable of supporting human life, so he checked it off his list with a satisfied smile.</p><p>He had heard Patton working in Navigation nearby, and Remus's maniacal laughter as he blasted the various detritus that had been gathering around the Station through the gun systems had been an enjoyable accompaniment, if a bit annoying after a while, and highly unnecessary, but now, as he rose to his feet, he could appreciate a break. Heading out into the corridor he took a quick left turn and came up behind Remus, who was sat on the the seat in the centre of the control area, and watched as he blasted a few more things on the screens.</p><p>"Take that you dry buttholes!" the man in green yelled as something exploded into dust on the right screen.</p><p>"Having fun?"</p><p>Remus immediately spun the chair around and pulled Logan into his lap. "Nerdy Wolverine!" he said, making sure Logan was straddling his lap and wrapping his arms around his back. "Here to give me a saucy lap dance?"</p><p>"I've actually decided that it was about time I had a break," Logan informed him, keeping his distance by setting his hands against Remus's shoulders. "That and..." He pushed himself back enough to be able to sit up without falling into his partner's chest and removed his helmet. "The air is breathable."</p><p>Remus stared at him for a few seconds before scrambling to remove his own and dropping them both to the floor with hollow thuds as he puled Logan in to kiss him thoroughly and invasively. Logan was all too happy to respond, grasping at the metal ring of Remus's collar. They had been asleep for years, travelling light years away from home, away from everything they knew, and while it might have been only a single sleep for them, it still felt like forever.</p><p>And yet the moment was broken, the beacon in their suits blaring loudly at them, and Logan pushed himself away from Remus in surprise.</p><p>"I'm going to disembowel whoever did that," Remus grumbled, allowing Logan up.</p><p>"I'd prefer it if you didn't."</p><p>"Don't be alarmed!" Patton said as he came in behind them. "I'm sure it's-. Hey! Your helmets are off!"</p><p>"Yes, the air is safe to breathe," Logan said, pulling Remus up.</p><p>"Did you do this?" the moustached man demanded with a sharp finger.</p><p>"No," Patton said with a frown. "I was just making sure the steering was straight and true."</p><p>Remus continued to glare at him for a few seconds before turning away, following Logan into the cafeteria.</p><p>No one else had arrived yet, though the three of them had been the closest to the cafeteria, and so Logan sat himself down at the central table as Remus wandered around the room, taking out his tablet to check on the tasks that still needed doing in the ship. From the looks of things they seemed to be on schedule, so whatever this was would only be a small hiccup in the scheme of things. Roman and Virgil had entered the room as he'd been studying the list, but still there was no sign of Orange or Janus.</p><p>"So we can take our helmets off now?" Roman asked as he looked between the three of them, all of them now bare-headed. "Thank God." He removed it quickly and set it down on the table, Virgil following his example, though he kept hold of it as they sat.</p><p>"Where's Orange?" Patton asked, looking past them.</p><p>"Oh, he's probably just-"</p><p>"He's dead."</p><p>Everyone turned to the door opposite the windows that showed the great expanse of space beyond. Janus stood there, leaning against the frame. There was a thick, shiny red liquid on his glove and smeared over his thigh.</p><p>"... What?"</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span class="u">Stardate: October 17th XX20. 11:51 AM</span>
</p><p>Orange was lying face up in the storage area next to the fuel tank, a smear of blood on the floor beside him, undoubtedly where he'd been lying face down before Janus had found him, as the majority of the front of the suit had been stained with his blood, and there was an uneven tear, revealing a mess of flesh, internal organs and bodily fluids. Blank eyes stared up through a cracked helmet. The six of them were stood around it in shock.</p><p>"... Are we sure we're alone on this ship?" Virgil asked after what had felt like an eternity of silence.</p><p>"We... We should be," Logan said, uncertainty rocking his foundations. This was supposed to be a safe mission. They were supposed to man the station until the rest of the crew arrived. They were only supposed to make sure everything was in working order. They were supposed to be <em>safe</em>!</p><p>"Should be?" Janus repeated with a sneer. "Orange is <em>dead</em>!"</p><p>"Yes! I've noticed that!" Logan snapped back, rubbing at his mouth as he watched Remus examine the body. "This... This shouldn't have happened."</p><p>"Well it did, didn't it," Roman said.</p><p>"What.... What should we do?" Patton asked, looking between each of them.</p><p>"We should put Orange in his cryotube before his bowels empty themselves everywhere," Remus said, getting to his feet. "Though I doubt we'll make it in time."</p><p>"Yes but, after that."</p><p>"Staying in groups," Logan said with a decisive nod. "Two or three per group at least. The more of us there are the less likely we'll be..."</p><p>"I'm with Log-in," Remus said, looking around the room and picking up a crate lid to shift Orange's body onto. "Need a hand, Ro. And preferably the rest of the body as well."</p><p>"Can you not!" Roman said in disgust but helped him move Orange onto the make-shift stretcher. "Storm Cloud, you're with me."</p><p>"Yeah, I'm not complaining," Virgil said.</p><p>Patton turned to Janus with an uneasy smile. "Well, I guess that means it's you and me-"</p><p>"I'll tag along with you two," the man in yellow said, pointing between Roman and Virgil.</p><p>"-Logan and Remus!" Patton continued as though that had been what he'd intended to say all along.</p><p>"Alright," Logan said and moved ahead of the brothers to ensure the pathways was clear for them. "Let's... get this over with."</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span class="u">Stardate: October 17th XX20. 12:20 PM</span>
</p><p>Orange had been sealed into his cryochamber, a task that had taken more effort than any of them had wanted, and there were now a few empty stomachs after smelling the half digested remains of his breakfast. Knowing the workings of death was not the same as experiencing them and no one was ready, not even Remus who was looking paler than usual. They were back in the cafeteria, sitting at the table and keeping an eye on all the entrances both Roman and Remus now with patches of blood on their suits from having to physically having to move the body.</p><p>Normally at his time Logan would have suggested they east something, but he knew none of them would be able to keep it down.</p><p>"What should we do?" Virgil asked, helmet now firmly back in place. "We can't just... wait here to get <em>murdered</em>."</p><p>"Logan did say that the more of us there are in one group, the more likely we'll be able to defend ourselves," Patton said with a forced smile. "Why don't we just, you know, stick together?"</p><p>"But then the alien might be going around sabotaging the Station," Remus pointed out, eyes flickering to every shadow as he touched each finger to his thumbs over and over again. "I mean, did Orange finish working on the reactor? And the engines; what if we weren't where we needed to be when the rest of the team arrives? They'd have to search for us, and that could take weeks! And then there's the Oxygen-"</p><p>As though Remus's words had been a prophecy the Station's alarm sounded and a yellow light flashed.</p><p>"Next time, keep your mouth shut," Janus said, pushing himself up from the table.</p><p>"We have to get to two panels," Logan informed them, painfully aware of the countdown that the overhead had begun in a tinny voice. "There's one in Admin and another next to the oxygen filter."</p><p>"We'll take Admin," Roman said, nodding to Janus and leading both him and Virgil in the right direction.</p><p>Logan, meanwhile, headed back to the oxygen station, but before he could get too far Remus caught his shoulder.</p><p>"Remus-"</p><p>"I'll go first," he said, moving ahead as he sent a grin his way. "If anyone's going to get disembowelled by a murdering alien it's me."</p><p>Logan felt almost physically sick at the thought but gave him a nod and followed behind.</p><p>Though there were only a few corners to turn to reach their destination, each one held a horrible danger and a potentially deadly encounter, turning the once safe and comforting realm into a nightmare. They held their breath as they stepped into the oxygen lab and Remus stood guard at the door, letting Logan get on with repairing the error. Although Patton's fidgeting at the side was a little distracting, Logan did notice that the error was actually fairly easy to fix, and it seemed to have been created remotely. That was odd. Very odd indeed. The only way for that to happen would be-</p><p>The voice stopped its countdown and the lights went back to their sterile glare as he closed the casing, confirming that the others had fixed their end, and they all relaxed minutely.</p><p>"That was a close call," Patton said, undoubtedly trying to sound optimistic but the wobble in his voice broke the illusion.</p><p>Logan nodded. "Let's go back to the cafeteria."</p><p>The three of them moved carefully back towards their meeting place, constantly on guard and feeling incredibly vulnerable with every step. It was an oversight to not keep something on the Station with which to defend themselves, and it was something Logan would certainly be bringing up with their eventual co-workers, but for now all they had was their suits and their tablets.</p><p>The cafeteria was empty and quiet when they returned, the vast expanse of space looming dark and cold out the thick, reinforced windows. Against all logical reasoning it made Logan feel more alone than ever and he reached out for Remus's hand, which he took with a squeeze in silence. They wandered to the central table, clustering together as they watched the door to Admin, waiting. Seconds passed, and those seconds turned into minutes, until the tension in the air could be cut with a knife.</p><p>"They should be back by now," Logan said, pressing closer to Remus's side.</p><p>"May... Maybe they went to check on the engines," Patton suggested, having come to stand on Remus's other side.</p><p>Remus continued to watch the stretch of corridor for a few moments, his face more blank -- more serious -- than Logan could ever remember seeing it before. "We should check."</p><p>Patton swallowed. "D-do we have to?"</p><p>There was another long pause before Remus nodded and he looked between the two of them. "I don't think they've gone to the engines."</p><p>Logan swallowed but nodded, having come to a similar conclusion himself. They would have returned here as soon as the oxygen situation had been resolved. He released Remus's hand to give him greater movement and followed close behind him when they headed onwards.</p><p>Each step seemed to echo, their breaths loud in his ears and the air was almost too cold. He didn't know what to expect, so his mind created images for him; a craze worker left behind by the construction crew wielding a bloody screwdriver, an android system that had become corrupted and was disguising itself as the very walls around them, some alien creature from the movies he and Remus had watched late at night back on Earth, using the shadows, the ceiling, and whatever else it could to get to them without being seen. Whatever it was it was still out there.</p><p>It was still out there, and it had killed not only Orange, but Janus as well.</p><p>The once yellow suit was now almost entirely saturated with blood, the domed glass of the helmet shattered and Janus's face stuck in a look of shock. Logan didn't know where all the blood had come from exactly, but it had started to pool around the body, and he stepped closer, almost hypnotised by it. The human body held approximately 10 pints of blood. There were a myriad of veins in the body. <em>Janus was dead</em>. If a main artery was punctured, say in the leg, neck or arm, it would take 30 seconds before unconsciousness and 3 minutes until death. <em>Janus was dead</em>. Similarly it could take up to 5 minutes to die if the heart was--</p><p>"<em>Logan!</em>"</p><p>He blinked, surprised to find Remus was holding his face.</p><p>"Hey, Nerdy Wolverine. You back with me?"</p><p>Logan blinked again and nodded.</p><p>"Good," he said, planting a kiss on his brow. "Now, we still don't know where Roman and Virgil are. It might be that they were taken by whoever-"</p><p>Darkness. Complete and utter blackness fell over them, the lights clicking off. Patton squeaked in fright somewhere near the door. Logan clutched at Remus. Remus pulled Logan close.</p><p>"Electrical," Logan said. "We have to go to electrical to fix the lights."</p><p>"How can we fix it if we can't see?" Remus asked, his warm breath brushing against Logan's cheek.</p><p>"The panel should have some battery powered light in it," Logan said, cursing that he'd left his helmet in the weapons bay; though it wasn't much they had a small light in them, one which would have been incredibly useful now. "Patton, can you come closer so we can all stick together?"</p><p>Silence.</p><p>"... Patton?"</p><p>Still nothing.</p><p>"Logan," Remus said, his voice low, almost a whisper. "I think..."</p><p>Logan's grip on Remus tightened and he nodded, the cold seeping into him as they stepped forwards together, creeping through the blackness. Until their feet hit something soft and wet. Logan whimpered.</p><p>"We have to get to the shuttle," Remus said, starting to pull Logan down the hallway, leaving Patton's corpse behind them. "We can lock the doors behind us and-"</p><p>"What about Roman and Virgil?"</p><p>"They're probably dead," Remus said, choking on the word but pausing all the same. "They're probably in pieces. Roman... We can't think about them. We-" The words cut off, choked with a gasp, and Logan felt him stiffen.</p><p>"R-Remus?"</p><p>"Logan... I love you. I love... I love you so much." Remus said, his voice wet and broken. He could hear a smile in his voice, and then he felt him fall. "You're... the best thing that ever happened to me."</p><p>"I love you too," he replied, tears streaming down his cheeks as he collapsed down beside him, reaching for his face to hold him. "Remus. Remus I love you so much." He could feel a presence behind him, the certainty of death creeping over him, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Remus had stopped moving, had stopped breathing, and he sobbed in agony at the loss until he felt something sharp and serrated slice through the flesh of his throat.</p><p>It takes 30 seconds of blood loss from a main artery until unconsciousness...</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span class="u">Stardate: October 17th XX20. 6:00 AM</span>
</p><p>Logan blinked his eyes open as the dim light of the cryodeck slowly brightened, emulating the rising of the sun back on Earth and offering a gentle escape from his induced hibernation. He waited patiently as his body began to realise that it was awake again and started to carefully move each digit. The tingle of pins and needles washed over him like a wave, but he'd been expecting it; he had taken the chance to research the effects that cryosleep would leave on the body, and had found it quite a fascinating read. Apparently it was very similar to freezing meat to preserve it, but the science behind it meant that the human body would be kept alive throughout the process, just severely slowed down, so when the process was reversed the human body had to take some time to recover. Hence the pins and needles.</p><p>He was just starting to curl his hands into fists when he heard the thud and slap of a body hitting the floor nearby, shortly followed by a long, low groan.</p><p>"You're supposed to wait until your blood flow has... returned to normal," Logan said, his voice cracking in a somehow familiar way.</p><p>The groan sounded again, followed by the sound of whoever it was who had decided that getting out of the pod immediately was a good idea crawling closer before a blurred dark head of hair with a streak of white revealed itself over the edge. Logan frowned.</p><p>"Have... Have we done this before?"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Oof, I can't believe I wrote that, and this might end up being a tame chapter! DX<br/>I hope you guys enjoyed, and there will probably be more chapters to come.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Log Entry #2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Our 7 new adventurers arrive at Sanders Station... again?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here we go again...</p><p>Continued warnings of blood and gore and a little bit of body horror!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">Stardate: October 17th XX20. 6:23 AM</span>
</p><p>Logan sipped the imi-coffee as he watched Remus hum and move to some song or another as he made them breakfast. He'd insisted on it, even though all he was really doing was filling in an order on a screen in the wall and waiting while the machine created it from various proteins and other such things that the ship had stored that wouldn't have decomposed on their journey. Remus had complained about not being able to see what mould that had several years to grow and mutate would look like when he first discovered this, but he had eventually been distracted by all the things you could order on the replacement.</p><p>"Breakfast is served!" Remus said with a flourish, setting what looked like a bowl of spaghetti with green pesto in front of him.</p><p>Logan was not as surprised as he should have been. Everything that had happened so far today had felt rehearsed, like it had happened before, and he found himself thinking more and more on his dream. It had felt so real -- it <em>still</em> felt real -- but it wasn't. He had just studied the Sanders Station so much that his subconscious had created a landscape that was affected by the movies that Remus revelled in. That was all. Everything else was a coincidence. His subconscious had just known that Remus was going to serve him spaghetti and pesto for breakfast.</p><p>"Ground control to Major Tom," Remus said, brining Logan's attention back to the moment and his partner's confused gaze. "You back with me?"</p><p>"Yes. Sorry," Logan said and he picked up his fork. "Why spaghetti?"</p><p>"It was the first meal we had together, remember?" Remus said, his eyes going soft as he took Logan's hand.</p><p>Logan gave his fingers a squeeze, giving him a soft look of his own as he tried to sake the feeling of deja vu. "If I remember correctly, we had it in pre-used instant ramen pots that hadn't been washed out properly."</p><p>"I know," Remus sighed, shoulders falling in disappointment. "The stupid machine wouldn't let me choose the bowl."</p><p>Logan chuckled and pulled Remus's hand up to kiss his fingers. As chaotic as his partner was, when it came to details like this he was rather fastidious. "Maybe next time."</p><p>Remus hummed. "So long as you're here with me, I don't care." He gave Logan a narrowed look, and the scientist suddenly felt like he was being dissected by his gaze. "Where <em>were</em> you anyway? It's not like you to get lost like that, especially since we're so far away from home with no chance of rescue or contact if anything goes wrong."</p><p>"I wasn't anywhere except here at the table, waiting for you to 'make' breakfast," Logan replied, pointedly gathering some pesto pasta onto his fork and taking a bite of it. Remus was clearly not convinced.</p><p>"You're lying," he said, taking the fork from Logan's hand and pushing it and the bowl away so he could take both of Logan's hands. "You're doing that thing where you recount what had been happening and not what you were doing."</p><p>Logan winced. Was he really that obvious? "It's nothing."</p><p>"Nothing you ever think in that big brain of yours is nothing."</p><p>"It's nothing! Just a... weird dream."</p><p>"Oh?" Remus shifted in his seat. eyes gleaming with interest. "Was it a bad dream? It must have been to have affected you so bad. Why didn't you say anything sooner? We could have talked about it when you woke up!"</p><p>"It's illogical," Logan tried to dismiss, but Remus would have none of it.</p><p>"If it's affecting you then, illogical or not, you need to talk about it," he said, rubbing his thumbs over the back of Logan's hands. "Don't ant you getting distracted and getting your hand sliced off by a pneumatic door."</p><p>"The doors have a safety feature that prevents that from happening."</p><p>Remus shrugged, not caring about the details, and gave him an expectant look. It took less than a minute for Logan to cave.</p><p>"It was just a dream about today," he admitted.</p><p>"Oh?" Remus said, shifting closer on his chair. "What happened?"</p><p>"... Everyone died."</p><p>Remus blinked. "Died?"</p><p>He hummed the affirmative.</p><p>"Was it cool?"</p><p>"Remus!"</p><p>"Sorry! Sorry." Remus moved from his chair to sit on Logan's lap and brought the scientist's hands to rest over his heart and against his cheek, the steady thumping calming and reassuring. "It was just a dream, Logie-Bogie."</p><p>Logan took a deep breath and slowly nodded. A coincidence. That's all this was. There was nothing in that dream other than the predictions of his mind. "I know. It just..."</p><p>"I'm right here," Remus told him. "You're stuck with me. Like an invasive virus in your blood stream."</p><p>Logan chuckled and leaned in to kiss him. "I wouldn't have it any other way."</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span class="u">Stardate: October 17th XX20. 7:09 AM</span>
</p><p>The weight of the helmet under his arm felt oddly familiar but still incredibly cumbersome as he headed towards the depressurisation chamber, especially as he was still trying to read through the message that had been sent to him and everyone else in the team from the construction workers on the tablet with his other hand and that Remus wanted to continue holding his hand. Since he couldn't do all three without compromising one of the tasks, Remus had compromised by walking as close to him as possible and reading the message over his shoulder.</p><p>"Wasn't it supposed to be brand, spanking new?" Remus asked as Logan realised just how much work there was for them to do once they finally stepped into the Station. "Just spanking new?"</p><p>"That is supposed to be the case, yes," Logan said with a sigh, putting the tablet away in its pouch as they reached the chamber, the doors still open and waiting for them.</p><p>They were the last to arrive, as he had expected, and he ignored the smug look that Janus was sending their way from where he was lounging in one of the seats near to a crate of supplies opposite Orange who was scrolling through his tablet, or possibly playing a game that he might have installed on it. Virgil was sitting between Roman and Patton as he rubbed at his legs and listened to Roman as he told some story about magic or some other sort of nonsense, but they all seemed to be doing quite well. He felt Remus shift next to him and, before he could even think about it, he'd reached out with his now free hand to grasp at his arm. The man in green looked back at him in surprise, as did Janus and Patton, who had both noticed the emotional action, but he fell back to Logan's side as the doors slid closed behind them with a hiss. Janus looked genuinely surprised by the restraint his friend was showing, but all Logan could feel was relief, non-sensical though it might have been, to have his partner with him.</p><p>"Apologies for the delay," he said, coughing to clear his throat. He had everyone's attention now at least. "It seems that the Station has been damaged in transit, so it will be our main focus in the upcoming days to repair the systems. It shouldn't take more than a day I expect." He rubbed his tongue against the roof of his mouth, trying not to think about how those words felt recycled.</p><p>"It's ridiculous," Roman huffed, and Logan relaxed a fraction at the change. "They were supposed to have made sure that everything was ready."</p><p>"Pretty sure they were just supposed to put it together, not make sure it was all working," Orange said, not looking up from his tablet. "They've already gone above and beyond."</p><p>Roman huffed but didn't respond, he just picked stood up and picked up his helmet from the floor. "What took you so long? We've been waiting for ages!"</p><p>"Ten minutes," Janus said, voice level and yet somehow conveying a tone of amusement.</p><p>"Whatever."</p><p>"We were having sex!" Remus proclaimed proudly. Logan rolled his eyes.</p><p>Only Orange didn't react to that statement, continuing to look at his screen. Meanwhile;</p><p>"Oh my god!"</p><p>"TMI, dude!"</p><p>"I didn't need to know that!"</p><p>"<em>Why?</em>"</p><p>"I had his dick up my butthole!" Remus declared with enthusiasm and vigour, bringing all the more noises of disgust. "We did it over the table. We got pasta <em>everywhere</em>!"</p><p>"Remus," Logan sighed, looking up at the ceiling in exasperation before giving his partner a straight, unimpressed look. "Please stop telling them falsehoods."</p><p>Remus pouted at him but fell silent, moving around him to take the helmet from his grasp and stick his tongue out at him.</p><p>With a put upon sigh Logan shook his head and continued on. "As I had been saying before we were... distracted; as the Station has been damaged we will have to work on some repairs. If everyone has read the list that has been sent to our tablets then we know that there is not area that has not been affected. I would suggest that we decide on a meeting point and, from there, proceed to work on our area of expertise. I would like to suggest the cafeteria as this check-point."</p><p>"Is there any particular reason for that?" Janus asked. "Or were you planning on ruining even more flat surfaces?"</p><p>"Janus!" Patton complained with a squawk and Remus laughed, exchanging a please smirk with his friend.</p><p>"So we all know where to congregate in case of an emergency -- which is highly unlikely -- or simply a place to meet should we need any assistance with our tasks," Logan replied, ignoring the pointless query and held out his hand to Remus. "I need my helmet back."</p><p>"Why?"</p><p>"Don't be an asshole, Rem," Roman told his brother, rising to his feet and bringing Virgil with him.</p><p>Remus grinned. "Why?"</p><p>"I don't particularly want to be starved of oxygen," Logan explained as Roman glared, waiting a few more moments before the helmet was placed in his hand. "Thank you." He twisted it onto his head and everyone followed suit, even Orange who had finally put his tablet away. "Now, once we get to the cafeteria we can decide on what to do, alright?"</p><p>He received noises of confirmation from just about everyone and he nodded to himself, opening the doors to the brand new Station and leading the way inside.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span class="u">Stardate: October 17th XX20. 11:03 AM</span>
</p><p>Logan sat back as he pushed the last of the boards in the oxygen unit back into place with a sigh. It had been a challenge, but not as much of one as it should have been, not if this had been the first time he'd seen it. He'd studied the designs and blueprints of course, and it was very similar to previous oxygen systems he'd worked with, but he'd only really taken so long as he had because he had decided to triple check everything. Logically he knew that everything was fine, that he knew and understood what he was looking at, he knew how the system worked, and yet that consistent sensation of having done this all before made him second guess everything.</p><p>He'd already known what the Station was going to look like, the weapons and navigations rooms were familiar, and even the instructions he had given to everyone had tasted strange, like the words he had spoken when he had just awoken not five hours before. Remus's laughter and Patton's muttering had been like listening to a song that he had heard before from a distance, and it was unnerving him. At least now he knew that the oxygen was -- and always had been -- capable of supporting human life. Or had he already known? Shaking his head he pulled out his tablet and opened the notes section.</p><p>
  <em>Log Entry #1</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I'm not entirely sure why I'm writing this, but I've had this strange feeling all day. I do not usually allow emotions to cloud my judgement in such a way, and I expect it is perhaps a result of my time in stasis, but everything feels, for the lack of a better word, rehearsed. I know that what I am feeling is simply the imbalance of chemicals in my brain, not in small part due to the dream I had, but I still can't seem to part with this feeling. I hope it will pass, but for now I will have to endure it.</em>
</p><p>Checking the entry over he nodded to himself before closing the application and putting the tablet away. That would have to do for now. That done he rose to his feet and headed out into the corridor, checking briefly in on Patton before moving towards the weapons room.</p><p>As expected, Remus was sitting in the control seat in the centre of an array of screens, each showing various vistas of the space outside of the Station with the help of special sensors that would pick up movement from detritus and space waste. Remus was tapping at one of the screens that had a fair number of concerning looking rocks in it and used the joy stick in the arm of the chair to start shooting at them with a crooked grin. Logan watched him for a time, listening to him chuckle when he destroyed whatever he could, but when he leaned back in his chair with a 'whoop!' he finally stepped forwards.</p><p>"It looks like you're having fun," he said with a fond smile, grinning when Remus spun the chair around and pulled him into his lap. "Nerdy Wolverine!" he declared, setting Logan's knees at either side of his hips before sliding his arms around Logan's back. "Here to give me a saucy lap dance?"</p><p>"I've..." Logan started, only to pause as that feeling washed over him again. He didn't understand why it continued to return, time and again. No dream could have been that accurate. Could it?</p><p>"Logie?"</p><p>He blinked, refocusing on Remus who was looking up at him in concern. "Apologies. I'm not sure what's come over me."</p><p>"Do you need a break?" Remus asked, rubbing his back. "Why don't we head to the cafeteria, relax for a bit?"</p><p>Logan sighed and nodded. "That would be nice."</p><p>"Alright then," Remus said, looking solemnly up at him for a few more moments before curling his arms under Logan's legs and pushing himself to his feet. Logan had to wrap his arms around Remus's neck to keep himself stable, and he glared at the moustached man as he grinned, carrying him into the cafeteria. </p><p>"I can walk perfectly well on my own."</p><p>"Yeah, but where's the fun in that?" Remus asked and he made his way over to the nearest table, setting Logan to sit on the table as he moved to sit between his legs on the seat in front of him, hands still there on Logan's hips, stabilising and comforting. "Now, what's the problem?"</p><p>For a moment Logan didn't want to talk about it, but eventually, after some surprising patience on Remus's part, he spoke. "It's going to sound crazy."</p><p>"So say it anyway," Remus encouraged. "I say crazy stuff all the time, and you still love me."</p><p>Logan smiled. "That I do," he muttered, and carefully gathered his thoughts. "It's that dream I had."</p><p>"The one where everyone died?" Remus asked and Logan nodded.</p><p>"I didn't really explain it before, but it was here. We all died here." Logan took a deep, shaking breath, letting the pressure of Remus's hands on him calm him down. "Everything we've done today, save a few details, has been exactly the same."</p><p>"The same?"</p><p>"As my dream," Logan clarified. "It's like... I lived it before. I can remember waking up to you falling out of the cryotube, I can remember you making spaghetti pesto for breakfast, I can remember checking the oxygen system before, and yet I <em>know </em>it can't be real, or..."</p><p>"Or we'd be dead," Remus finished softly, a furrow between his brows. They studied each other in silence for a few moments, Logan wondering if Remus thought he was crazy, wondering if he really <em>was</em> crazy, but then Remus caught his hand and entwined their fingers. "Did we all die together?"</p><p>A tension in Logan's shoulders eased as he exhaled in a shaky relief. "No. Orange died first."</p><p>"Okay," Remus said with a slow nod. "Where was he?"</p><p>"In Storage."</p><p>Remus nodded again and rose to his feet, pulling Logan away from the table. "Then let's go check."</p><p>"Remus-"</p><p>"When did it happen?" the man in green asked, ignoring Logan's protest as he led the way towards the corridor.</p><p>"It... I don't know. Janus found him... in about five minutes actually."</p><p>Remus hummed and continued on. The further along the clean, blank hallway they walked the more nervous Logan felt. He knew it was ridiculous to feel that way, that this was all nonsense, but there was still a part of him, a part that he could never truly rid himself of, that wondered. What if he was going mad? What if the cryotube had malfunctioned somehow and his brain had been affected? What if he was suffering an unknown effect of being put in status for such a long time? What if-?</p><p>Remus had drawn them to a stop. They had reached storage, more specifically the pile of crates and boxes in the centre. Orange was lying face down on the floor next to it.</p><p>"... How did Janus find him?" Remus asked, his voice quiet.</p><p>"Like... Like this."</p><p>Remus hummed and released Logan's hand, stepping closer and crouching down to shake Orange's shoulder. "Orange. You... You okay?"</p><p>No answer.</p><p>"You're freaking us out. Say something."</p><p>The silence continued.</p><p>Remus looked back to Logan for a moment before rolling Orange over. The majority of the front of his suit had been stained red with his blood, creeping into the stuffing from an uneven tear, revealing a mess of flesh, internal organs and bodily fluids. The helmet had been cracked, and Orange stared blankly from within.</p><p>"... Fuck."</p><p>"No." Logan grasped at the fabric of his suit's arms, shaking his head. "This... this can't be real. It can't be happening. It was a dream. A <em>dream</em>!"</p><p>"<em>Logan</em>!"</p><p>Remus was stood before him, blocking his view as he crowded his space, holding Logan's arms.</p><p>"It... it was a dream," Logan said, but he couldn't bring himself to believe it anymore. "How is this possible?"</p><p>"I don't know," Remus replied. "Whatever it is, we have to stop the next one."</p><p>"Right," Logan said with a nod. "It was Janus. We... we'd split up into two groups to fix the Oxygen. Roman and Virgil went with Janus, and when they didn't show up in the cafeteria after we went looking. Janus was... in Admin."</p><p>"What about Roman and Virgil?"</p><p>Logan shook his head. "We didn't have the chance to find them."</p><p>Remus narrowed his eyes at that, but before he could say anything further they heard a crash. Turning towards the noise they found Janus leaning against the wall, an empty gas container now half way across the room as they stared at Orange's body. A moment later, his eyes met theirs.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span class="u">Stardate: October 17th XX20. 11:48 AM</span>
</p><p>"It has to be them!" Janus exclaimed to the table, pointing at both Remus and Logan. He had carefully kept his distance from them ever since he'd called the alarm, The table was between them now, and they were all stood a number of feet from each other, save for the two accused parties. "They were right there and they'd done <em>nothing</em>!"</p><p>"I was making sure Logan didn't go into shock!" Remus shouted back. "We'd only just gotten there a minute before!"</p><p>"Please, stop fighting," Patton said weakly, looking between them nervously. Logan was equally fearful, unsure what would happen should someone be accused of murdering their friend. This hadn't happened last time, if the last time had even been real. They had been half convinced that it had been a stow-away. How did they get here?</p><p>"Why were you even in Storage?" Virgil asked.</p><p>"We were going to visit Janus in Communications!" Remus defended, almost immediately, telling Logan that he'd already thought of an excuse some time before this madness had descended upon them. He couldn't help but feel relieved at it.</p><p>"I'd just finished my work on the oxygen and thought it would be a good time to take a break," Logan confirmed, glancing at Janus's still unconvinced face.</p><p>"You don't take breaks," Roman said with a frown.</p><p>"He does," Patton defended, looking between everyone. "You <em>know</em> he does. Janus, did you see them kill Orange?"</p><p>Janus gritted his teeth. "No."</p><p>"Then how do you know it was them?"</p><p>"Because they were just<em> standing there</em>!"</p><p>"It wasn't-" Logan started, but Remus pushed him behind him with a snarl.</p><p>"We just experienced a traumatic event you giant shit for brains! Everyone experiences it differently! I would have thought you'd have known better."</p><p>Janus flinched, his left hand rising towards his helmet briefly before it curled into a fist. "Then who killed him?"</p><p>"<em>I don't know!</em>" Remus's words echoed for a moment before he slumped in place. "I don't know, Jay. He was already..." He held his arm towards the Storage room before he dropped it limply to his side.</p><p>"Do we know if we're the only ones on the Station?" Roman asked into the void that Remus had left in his wake.</p><p>Patton shook his head. "I've been focusing on stabilising things in Navigation."</p><p>"I haven't seen anyone," Janus said.</p><p>"The only other people I've seen is all of you," Logan said, and the others agreed. "The only way we can know if there are others here would be to check in Admin, but that only records the presence of living entities in these suits."</p><p>"In other words, it's useless," Virgil said, curling his arms around himself. "There could be someone here, trying to kill us all, and we'd have no idea."</p><p>"... Yes."</p><p>"Perfect!"</p><p>Roman scoffed. "Look, whether it was someone else on this Station or not, we should all stick together from now on, right?"</p><p>"I don't want to let any of you out of my sight!" Patton said, bringing his hands up in a way that resembled how he would hold them to his face in moments of extreme emotion.</p><p>"Right," Roman said with a nod. "In which case we need to figure out what we need to do."</p><p>Logan sighed. "I've completed the most vital of tasks in the oxygen room, and it sounds like the reactor has been started."</p><p>"I got most of the trash that's outside," Remus added.</p><p>"We started working on the Upper Engine," Virgil said. "The stuff in the Medbay didn't take too long."</p><p>"I was going to head over to the Lower Engines to see if Orange needed any help," Janus said, sending a look to Remus and Logan to show he still didn't believe them, which made Logan feel horrid.</p><p>"The Station's in the correct orbit now," Patton said. "So... maybe the shields need looking at?"</p><p>"Good idea, padre," Roman agreed with a nod. "Don't want anything else happening."</p><p>Patton perked up a little at the praise and nodded. "Let's go then."</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span class="u">Stardate: October 17th XX20. 12:46 AM</span>
</p><p>Logan had checked the time for what had felt like the hundredth time in five minutes. They were all still together, they were all still working, and they were all still alive. Roman and Remus had been working on priming the shields together since they arrived while Patton and Janus had focused on the power that had been diverted there, leaving him and Virgil with nothing to do. No one spoke outside of their tasks, and the quiet was oppressive. He checked the time again.</p><p>"Why do you keep doing that?" Virgil asked, having been doing something on his tablet for most of the time.</p><p>"Doing what?"</p><p>"Checking the time," the purple clad man replied. "Are you... waiting for something?"</p><p>Logan tensed, feeling Janus's eyes on him. "I'm nervous," he tried to explain. "There's still so much to do, and Orange... None of this makes any sense."</p><p>Virgil snorted. "Understatement of the century."</p><p>"Yes, well-"</p><p>An alarm went off, blaring overhead. So things had only been delayed.</p><p>"What is that?" Roman asked, standing up from the screen his brother was still leaning over.</p><p>"That's... the reactor," Logan said. Saying it out loud suddenly made it real and he started to run towards it, knowing that if it hit critical mass then it would cause a meltdown and the Station would be destroyed. They had to fix it, <em>now</em>.</p><p>He could hear footsteps following behind him, but he didn't turn to see who it was, he only ran on, jumping over the boxes in Storage and past the lower engine to get into the reactor room. There were two flashing panels on opposite sides of the room and he quickly made his way over to the one on the right, pressing his gloved hand over the correct space and waiting with bated breath as the countdown continued, until at last the flashing lights and the constant drone of the alarm ceased. He all but collapsed in relief and turned to everyone else.</p><p>"We did it," Patton cheered, but Logan's eyes continued to flicker through the group, the numbers not matching up.</p><p>"Where's Remus?" he asked, finding that he was the only one that wasn't there.</p><p>Everyone shuffled on the spot and looked around.</p><p>"Where's Remus?" Logan asked again, moving towards the corridor. "Remus?"</p><p>"Logan!" Janus called, but he ignored him, the panic that had only just begun to flush from his system returning full force.</p><p>"Remus!" he called again, going back the way he'd come.</p><p>"Logan, be careful!" Patton called, but it was all fading into background noise.</p><p>"Remus, don't be dead," Logan muttered to himself as he turned a corner. "Please, don't be dead. You can't be dead. I need you. I need-"</p><p>There was blood splattered across the floor, he could hear it dripping over the edge of the platform and onto the pipes below. There were pieces of bone in the pool, but Logan didn't care. He stepped through it to fall to his knees before the body of the love of is life, pulling him into his lap and cradling his mutilated body. It had happened again. Remus had died, again, but this time he hadn't been there. He hadn't been with him.</p><p>He twisted Remus's helmet off and set it to the side, then removed his own, bowing his head to rest their brows together.</p><p>"I'm sorry," he choked. "I'm so sorry. We were supposed to be together, and I left you."</p><p>"Logan..." Janus said from somewhere behind him, but Logan ignored him in favour of kissing Remus and closing his eyes.</p><p>"I love you," he whispered before gently setting him down.</p><p>The reactor had been a distraction. It, like the oxygen and the lights from before, had been set off remotely, and it could only be done through one of their tablets. He turned around. There had only been one person he had seen on their tablet today.</p><p>His eyes blew wide in fear as he watched Virgil's body split and unravel, rope-like tentacles stretching out, and before he could say a word they had wound around Patton's throat and upper body, choking him until Logan heard the snap of bone, and his body was dropped to the floor like a disposable rag. Janus, who had watched the display with horror, had backed into Roman. Roman, who had looked on the body of his twin brother in silence, who had watched the murder of one of his best friends with a blank face, who was holding Janus's arms as he screamed and tried to flee.</p><p>Logan couldn't stand to watch anymore and he fled, but not before he saw a part of Roman split from the rest of him to reveal too many teeth in impossible places. He ran through Navigation, through the weapons area, through cafeteria, but he all but ran into the thing that used to be Virgil in the Upper Engine room, and when he turned to head back the way he'd come, not-Roman was there, still dripping with blood. He swallowed back a sob and glared at the creatures with seething hatred. They might have taken everything from him, but he would not give them his fear any longer.</p><p>The monsters hissed a laugh and approached.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span class="u">Stardate: October 17th XX20. 6:00 AM</span>
</p><p>Logan blinked his eyes open as the dim light of the cryodeck slowly brightened, emulating the rising of the sun back on Earth and offering a gentle escape from his induced hibernation. A moment later he shot up with a gasp. He was suddenly hit with light-headedness and he grasped the edge of his tube. He looked around, blinking at his surroundings. He was back. Had they not killed him? Were they keeping him for some nefarious reason? His grip on the tube tightened as he gritted his teeth, but his thoughts were disturbed when he saw a figure push itself from the tube beside his and tumble to the floor. It only took a glance to determine who it was.</p><p>"Remus?"</p><p>The man on the floor groaned before flipping onto his back, the shock of white hair in his fringe covering his beautiful, bright, alive eyes as he looked dazedly up at him and grinned. "Hey there, hot stuff. Fancy seeing you here." </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Oof, god damn, writing some of that was hard!</p><p>Thanks again for reading and please, PLEASE go and check out fangirltothefullest's page on Tumblr if you can!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Log Entry #3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Okay, we have DEFINITELY done this before.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Just another warning about how graphic things could get! There will be some serious descriptions of at least one death and all the thing that will come with venting a friend into space!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Stardate: October 17th XX20. 6:02 AM</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan hit the ground with a pained grunt, his shoulder having hit the ground much too hard, and he pushed and rolled himself across it until he’d plastered himself to Remus’s side. He was warm and real and here and now he was holding him. Logan curled into his chest and gripped at the skin-tight suit that Remus was wearing, stretching the fabric but not bringing himself to care as he listened to the beating of his heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You only get like this after something so shitty happens that you can’t logic your way out of it,” Remus said, his fingers gently rubbing circles into Logan’s scalp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hummed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... You want to talk about it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure. Take your time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan smiled. This is why he loved him. Remus was loud, he was gross and he was strange, his ideas bordered on the demented at times, he was intrusive and annoying… but he was also spontaneous and accepting. He could be quiet when it was needed, and he would listen with his full attention (provided he had something to keep his hands busy). He understood more than his first impression led people to believe, and he would protect Logan with everything he had.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tears ran down Logan’s cheeks as he thought of his body, shredded and so completely empty on the ground, and he choked on a sob at the thought of him dying alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Remus said, his voice soft as he rubbed Logan’s back. “I’ve got you. It’s okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan shook his head. “No. No it’s not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why not?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan shook his head again, curling further into a ball atop him. “You… I wasn’t there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Weren’t where?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“With you.” He could remember that focus, running to the reactor, forgetting everything else. Forgetting Remus. “I left you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, no, I’m right here,” Remus said, kissing Logan’s hair, but Logan was all but sobbing now. “It’s okay, Ana-Logie. I’m here now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you won’t be, because I’ll leave, or I’ll look away for a second, and you’ll… you’ll…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Breathe,” Remus told him, pushing them both upright and cradling Logan in his lap. “Like you taught me, remember? In for four. Hold for seven. That’s it. And out for eight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan shook as he followed Remus’s instructions, struggling against his emotions, but gently, over time, they calmed to a more manageable level and his grip on Remus’s clothes loosened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good,” the moustached man said, continuing to rub circles into his hair and back. “Just keep breathing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The scientist nodded numbly against his chest and relaxed into his hands until his shaking ceased. “Sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No buts!” Remus interrupted. “Not unless it’s the sexy kind!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan chuckled and set his head against Remus’s shoulder, looking up at him as he wiped at his eyes. “I love you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you too,” Remus replied, though he looked a little surprised. He had every right to be, considering Logan didn’t say those three words very often, and to have done so unprompted was unusual. “What is it? What happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You won’t believe me,” Logan said, running lines down Remus’s cheek with his fingertips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Try me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of all the people who were with him on this shuttle, Remus was the one who would be the most likely to believe him. Not that that was any guarantee that he would. He had already wasted time with his emotional state though, so perhaps he should keep the explanation short. “... Groundhog Day meets The Thing and I’m Phil.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus blinked at him a few times before his face fell. “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This… This is the third time I’ve woken up in that cryopod,” Logan said. “You’ve fallen out of your pod three times. And… and we’ve all…” He stopped, looking away. He shouldn’t have said anything. Remus didn’t believe him, and it would have been better if-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Died?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus’s soft tone -- no, more than that, it had an edge of anger, and fear -- made him turn back. There was no disbelief in his eyes, no hint of criticism or of simply trying to appease him. It almost made him tear up again, but he kept it down and nodded, not quite trusting his voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... I died.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan nodded again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We </span>
  <em>
    <span>all </span>
  </em>
  <span>died?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another nod.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus hummed and stroked his cheek. “Are you sure it wasn’t a dream?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan’s hope crumpled and he pulled away, or at least he tried to. “Let me go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Remus said, holding him tighter to his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me </span>
  <em>
    <span>go!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” he exclaimed, kicking out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Logan, stop!” Remus cried, struggling with him. “I believe you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He paused. “You think it was a dream.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You wouldn’t have reacted like this if you didn’t know that it was real.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... You insulted me to check if I was genuine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus shrugged. “You don’t make up stuff like this, but we </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> just get out of modified freezers after sleeping for years.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A fair point,” Logan granted with a blush. It wasn’t like him to overlook something so simple as proof. He blamed his high emotions. “It could still be affecting me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Might be,” Remus said. “Do you think it is?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan frowned. “It felt so real…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then it’s real until we know it isn’t,” Remus said with a decisive nod. “You said it was like The Thing?”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Stardate: October 17th XX20. 6:57 AM</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Strangely, Remus’s questioning had actually been quicker than the distractions he usually pulled, the kisses and delaying tactics replaced with hugs and supportive mutterings, and now the two of them were heading into the depressurisation chamber. Remus was holding both of their helmets so Logan could more properly look at his tablet, trying to find any clue in the messages they received from the construction crew of what it was that had caused this loop, or at least what these creatures were, but there had been nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And our fearless leader arrives!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan looked up from the tablet to find Roman stood in the middle of the room, arms stretched out in a flamboyant and unnecessary manner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aw, bro!” Remus exclaimed in return, stretching his own arms out in a mirror image of his brother. “I never thought you’d admit my superior leading skills.” He grinned as Roman physically stepped away from him with a look of disgust.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He was talking about Logan, you unhinged octopus,” Virgil said, though he sounded more playful than biting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus gasped dramatically. “How did you know I loved cephalopods?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both Logan and Virgil rolled their eyes and Logan nudged his partner with his elbow. “This is not how I was hoping to start the conversation.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus had the courtesy to look at least a little chastised and he stepped back, allowing Logan to take the place of the ‘fearless leader’, as Roman had put it, though he was definitely not fearless so he wasn’t sure why he had said that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As we are all here,” he began, looking around at each of them, noting how they were all more or less where they usually were, though he did make a note that Virgil’s previous panic attacks had probably been brought on by his tardiness, “I have some news. Now please keep an open mind as I know that what I am about to say will sound rather fantastical, but I assure you that I am speaking the truth.” The others looked at him in confusion, as he’d expected they would, and he took a stabilising breath. “I have lived through this day twice, and we have all died, both times.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The air was heavy with the silence that followed, and he tried to hold strong, but he could see the disbelief in their eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did Green put you up to this?” Orange asked with a snort.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not funny,” Virgil muttered, and Patton moved to comfort him, sending Logan a worried look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What proof do you have?” Janus asked, looking amused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... None,” Logan admitted quietly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s because this is a useless charade,” Janus said with a wave of his hand, rising to feet. “As entertaining as it is to see you try to make a joke, perhaps next time make it something more believable.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m telling the truth,” Logan said, but even Roman had turned away. “This is serious!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever, Blue,” Orange said, slipping his tablet into its pouch. “Can we just get started?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan’s shoulders fell. He should have known that this would happen. Remus was one thing, but everyone else? He could see them losing their faith in his abilities, in his cognitive functions. His leadership was now under question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you serious?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan almost jumped when Remus stepped past him, helmets now set aside, and he looked ready to tear someone limb from limb.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Logan doesn’t lie, not even for jokes,” Remus said, his voice low and dangerous. “He’s trying to warn you guys about something and you just dismiss it outright? </span>
  <em>
    <span>What the fuck?</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rem, don’t try it, alright?” Roman said, stepping forwards to meet him, eyebrow raised  and arms folded across his chest. “It’s sweet that you’re defending him and all, but we all know the effects of prolonged stasis.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We know you probably didn’t mean anything by it, Logan,” Patton said, “but-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>He’s not lying!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Remus exclaimed, but no one was listening. “Come on! Janus!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man in yellow sighed. “Just get your helmet on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their words stung, but Logan knew that if their positions had been reversed he would have thought the same thing. “Remus.” The man turned back to him. “It… It was a dream.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Logie…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine,” Logan said with a forced smile. “They’re right. We should just get on with things. We’re on a tight enough schedule as it is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus gave him a look that should have meant tears, he could see the heartbreak in his eyes, but he stepped closer and took Logan’s face in his hand to press a soft, gentle kiss to his lips. “I believe you,” he whispered, “even if they don’t. I will always believe you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan smiled, comforted by the support even though he knew it wasn’t enough now. “Let’s get through this.”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Stardate: October 17th XX20. 10:15 AM</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Virgil, Janus and Orange had all headed off in the same directions they had the previous times they had entered this place, their expertise leading them to very specific locations, but Roman had decided to go to Shields while Patton accompanied Virgil in the Medbay, something that Logan would not have chosen but they had all decided to make the decision themselves, since they ‘wanted Logan to take it easy’. In other words, they had decided that Logan’s skills and intelligence had been compromised.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus, who would have usually headed straight to the central control panel in the Weapons room, had been helping Logan sort out the oxygen filter, and they were now sitting side by side, the tasks in the room complete and their helmets resting in their laps.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They weren’t going to believe us,” Logan was saying. “When it comes to anything outside of my area of expertise they don’t listen. The only reason I was named leader was because I knew so much about the mission. Roman probably would have been chosen otherwise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That princess wouldn’t know the first thing about leading a mission like this,” Remus said with a snort. “He’d have led us all into a black hole to be strung out into wires thinner than a hair, or crashed us into an asteroid, or a planet. Maybe even a star.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s not quite as bad as that,” Logan said with a chuckle. “He’s actually quite competent, when he needs to be.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well they’re still all a burning bag of dicks for not listening.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan hummed. “We might have scared Virgil enough to keep him from entering, and maybe even Patton, but everyone else… Even proof wouldn’t have made much of a difference.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus looked like he wanted to argue, but instead puffed out his cheeks and slunk further down against the wall, releasing the air as a fart noise. “Our friends suck.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They are being practical,” Logan pointed out. “If this were any other situation I would commend them for not trusting my word.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But it’s not any other situation.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It fucking sucks worse than an elephant giving you a wet willy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Elephants don’t have fingers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus shrugged and leaned into Logan’s side to rest his head on his shoulder, which was enough of an invitation for Logan to rest his own on top.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You said it was Orange first, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you want to see if we can try and save him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan turned his head to regard his partner more critically, but, again, he seemed entirely genuine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wouldn’t hurt to try.”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Stardate: October 17th XX20. 10:22 AM</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I really don’t need any help,” Orange said as he continued to work on the reactor. “Aren’t there any other tasks that need doing? I’m sure the list was long enough to keep us all busy for several more hours yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There certainly is an abundance of tasks that need to be done,” Logan agreed, fingers twitching with the need to adjust his glasses but he and Remus had donned their helmets again before they had left the oxygen room. “However, I believe it would be more… socially fulfilling if we completed tasks together.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He means it’ll be more fun if we worked together,” Remus said, though why he felt the need to clarify, Logan was unsure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Orange hummed. “Well, I’ll be needing some fuel soon, and I think I saw the tank in Storage,” he said, closing a panel and pressing a few buttons. “If you get me about ten gallons then I’ll have this done in no time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Great!” Remus exclaimed and grabbed Logan’s hand to pull him away before the scientist had a chance to protest. “We’ll be back before you can say ‘mouldy entrails’!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever,” Orange said, still concentrating on the panel before him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought we were going to stay close to him,” Logan said once they were out of earshot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus shrugged. “You said he always died in Storage.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So that means that whatever cuts his chest open does it there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That might be true, but that does not guarantee that it will be the same this time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You said it has the last two.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They pulled to a stop next to the fuel tank as Logan shook his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Things have already changed,” he said as Remus found an empty fuel container to fill up. “Patton has never gone with Virgil before, Roman hasn’t gone to work on the shields, I’ve never told-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, cool your jets, Wall-E,” Remus said, catching Logan’s hands in his before Logan had the chance to pull out his tablet to go over everything he could on there, to find something to try and make some sense out of everything. “Everything’s going to be fine. We’ll get through this, yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan took a deep breath and nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Great. Now let’s get this stuff to Orange, yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Logan agreed and looked around for a second container, only to find the surprising sight of a man in cyan blue stood near the door. “Patton! I thought you were going to stay with Virgil.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a moment their navigator said nothing, and Logan started to wonder why he looked so stiff, but then he relaxed, his body language becoming something much more soft and familiar.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was, but now we’re waiting for some of the samples to process,” Patton explained. “He’s staying in the Medbay but I wanted to see how everyone was doing! I see you two aren’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuel</span>
  </em>
  <span>ing around!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Logan said, unimpressed by the pun, though Remus snickered. “Well, thank you for checking on us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No problem!” Patton said, rocking back on his heels before heading on. “I’ll go check how Janus is doing. See ya!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bye Pat!” Remus called after him with a wave. Logan watched after him with suspicion for a few moments more but still collected the container and brought it back to Remus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think they got him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus blinked at him. “They who?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The… The Things,” Logan replied, unsure what else to call them. He should have thought of it before; it had always been Roman and Virgil, and they had always gone to Medbay. Medbay wasn’t safe, and now Patton had been caught. “I’m such an idiot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, Patton?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus stared up at him, his eyes growing wide. “Janus.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They dropped the containers without a second thought and sprinted after Patton, skidding around corners until they reached the Communications room. As luck would have it, Roman had been near the corridor and the commotion had caught his attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Patton had turned back to look at them all in surprise, or rather the creature that had taken Patton’s form had, as there wasn’t a shadow of a doubt that this wasn’t their lovable father friend anymore. No, this thing’s arms had been buried deep inside of Janus’s chest, one sharp tentacle-like appendage having exited his back with a small number of vertebrae clutched in its grasp, and the other coming out of Janus’s mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bits of spinal cord dropped to the floor from within the vertebrae, landing with a squelch in a pool of gathering gore, and a few moments later Janus’s limp body joined it. The three of them watched in horrified fascination as the creature’s appendages morphed back into Patton’s suit covered arms, and the blood covering them seeped into the fabric, removing all evidence of the brutal murder it had just commited.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whoops,” Thing-Patton said with a shiver inducing smile. “Looks like I should have been more careful!”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Stardate: October 17th XX20. 10:35 AM</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Patton was struggling in Remus’s grasp, kicking and wiggling and hissing as everyone left alive stood around the table in the cafeteria. Logan’s heart hadn’t stopped racing since Remus had charged towards the creature that had torn through flesh and bone and tackled it to the ground. He was still holding back his panic at the thought that he was holding it with his bare arms with no protection against being slaughtered in front of everyone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell is going on?” Orange demanded, as Remus struggled with Not-Patton for a moment and was forced to push him down against the table. “Green!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He… It… The thing that looks like Patton killed Janus!” Roman explained, going to join his brother to hold the Thing down. “We saw it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me go!” Not-Patton shouted. “You’re hurting me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean, ‘Patton killed Janus’?” Virgil asked, looking like he wanted to jump in to help, but Logan had set himself between them. He knew what Virgil had become.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's not Patton!" Remus exclaimed grunting when Patton swung his head back into his nose but never once losing his grip. Perhaps all those scraps were good for something after all. "</span>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck!</span>
  </em>
  <span> He killed Janie! He’s dead! He’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>dead</span>
  </em>
  <span> God damn it! You tore him to fucking shreds!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan so desperately wanted to go to his side, to wipe the tears that were falling down his cheeks, but he had to stay here. He had to protect them from Virgil too, or all of this would have been for nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s not the one with blood all over him!” Virgil declared, waving at Remus’s gore covered suit. “How do we know it wasn’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Purple’s got a point,” Orange conceded with a nod, and Not-Patton smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes! Thank you, Orange!” the creature said, still struggling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No!” Roman exclaimed. “I don’t know what you are or what you did to Patton, but we saw what you did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But Remus-!” Virgil began but Logan cut him off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you honestly think that all three of us would lie to you about this?” he asked, waiting for a few moments before continuing when no answer was forthcoming. “I don’t know how, but this… this </span>
  <em>
    <span>thing</span>
  </em>
  <span> is able to absorb… blood through the suit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s ridiculous!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh I wish it was.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Virgil looked between the three of them, looked at Not-Patton who was struggling under the twins’ weight, then over at Orange who was considering Patton with suspicion. “You can’t seriously think they’re telling the truth!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All three of them are corroborating the same story,” Orange said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Orange, no,” Not-Patton begged, and Logan had to force himself not to look at it when he heard the wetness of its voice. “Please. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Please!</span>
  </em>
  <span> I didn’t do it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Orange’s expression twitched. “What are we supposed to do with him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Orange!” Virgil cried, but Logan couldn’t help but feel relieved.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We could throw him out the garbage chute,” Remus suggested as he and Roman kept a tighter hold on the squirming body beneath them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Roman stared at him. “You want to pull a HAL 9000 and vent him into space?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>He just tore my best friend up from the inside out in front of our eyes!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Remus all but screamed in his face. “He pushed pieces of his </span>
  <em>
    <span>spine</span>
  </em>
  <span> out through his back! There were pieces of his liver and pancreas all over the floor! </span>
  <em>
    <span>He’s got fucking tentacles for arms!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Roman continued to stare at him in silence for a few seconds, at his red rimmed eyes and wet cheeks, then he nodded slowly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this,” Orange said, but he also nodded in agreement, though he looked severely conflicted. Not that Logan could blame him; it still looked like Patton after all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>What?!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan spun around, holding his tablet out in some poor excuse of a shield as Virgil charged at him, only to get pulled to a halt by Orange.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re all crazy!” Virgil screamed at them as Roman and Remus started to drag a wailing Not-Patton towards the garbage chute. “You’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>crazy!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Logan, the door,” Roman said, and Logan headed to the panel to open it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door to the dumping ground hissed open and Not-Patton’s cries only grew in volume as Virgil continued to shout and scream at them to stop. The twins struggled to shove the Thing into the alcove, and it tried to cling onto Roman before Remus batted it away, and then Logan shut the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a lever that needed to be pulled to activate the venting, one that had to be held down to keep the hatch open, and it burned at Logan’s fingers through the suit. He could hear Not-Patton banging on the doors, Virgil screaming behind him, Roman trying not to throw up as he held back sobs…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Logan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shut his eyes and gritted his teeth, Remus’s hand falling on his shoulder. “I…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shook his head, but still he couldn’t move. He was frozen, stuck, unable and yet knowing he needed to. “I can’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus’s hand covered his, fingers curling slowly through his own. “Let me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan took a deep, shaking breath, forcing the noises around them away, and swallowed as he let his arm drop, leaving only Remus at the lever. Much as Logan had done, Remus hesitated, but it was only that, a hesitation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The banging fell into silence as the chute emptied, its contents emptying out into the void of space as Remus held the lever for five seconds, ten, twenty…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Remus,” Logan said softly as he touched his partner’s arm, then up to his wrist until he could peel his fingers from the lever. Once they had come loose it was like a chord had been cut and he dropped to his knees, clutching at Logan’s hand as he held his head with the other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I killed him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No!” Logan insisted, kneeling before him to hold him, even as he kept an eye on Virgil, who looked stunned. “That wasn’t Patton anymore. It wasn’t even human.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus choked on his tears and gripped Logan’s back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We did the right thing,” Roman said as he slid closer, sliding his fingers into his brother’s hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The right thing </span>
  <em>
    <span>sucks</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Remus said into Logan’s shoulder, but eventually raised his head enough to smile at his twin. “Thanks bro.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No problem,” Roman said, and he leaned closer to press his forehead to Remus’s.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a beautiful moment, one that didn’t happen nearly enough between the siblings, but in the moment of distraction Logan had taken his eye off of Orange and Virgil. He should have known better. He was doing so many things wrong!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lights flashed overhead, an alarm blared, and all three of them looked up, drawn from their moment of solidarity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The reactor,” Orange said and took off running, Virgil following soon after, and Logan scrambled to his feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Virgil,” he said, pulling Remus up. “He’s the other one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Roman said, only to have to catch up with them as they  headed towards the reactor. “Other one of what? What are you talking about?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s the Thing, Roman,” Remus explained simply, “except this time there are two, and we only got one of them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s-!” Roman started, only to cut himself off, no doubt thinking of what he’d witnessed. “What are we going to do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop him.”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Stardate: October 17th XX20. 10:51 AM</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had been too late. Orange had been bleeding out on the floor and Virgil nowhere to be seen when they had arrived, the countdown bringing them closer and closer to the end of everything. They had stabilised the core as quickly as possible, but now they were walking around the station like a tiny waddle of emperor penguins in the dead of winter, jumping at every little sound. Logan was disgusted with himself for making so many mistakes, for not being strong enough to do what had to be done. Now there were only three of them left, and he had a feeling that it would only be a matter of time before that number went down to zero.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s got to be in the vents,” Remus said, glaring at the grate in the corner of the cafeteria, shifting the pipe he’d picked up in his hand. “This is turning into an Alien movie.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s only one or two survivors in most of those!” Roman hissed in complaint. “I’d rather not have that happen. Four is plenty enough already.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think we’ll get much of a choice in that,” Remus said. “Whatever happens, next time, we do something different.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Next time?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus looked back at Logan as dread started to build in the scientist’s gut. “Groundhog Day, you said.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Remus,” Logan said, reaching for him, and catching his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If we lose, you have to warn me next time,” he said, only sparing a few moments to watch him before turning back to keep watch. “You have to let me help you, alright? I know what you’re like.” He smirked. “You can be as stubborn as a crocodile chowing down on a wildebeest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This isn’t a game, Remus,” Logan said. “Losing you -- losing </span>
  <em>
    <span>any</span>
  </em>
  <span> of you -- hurts.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell are you guys talking about?” Roman asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He already told you, and you called him a liar.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He…” Roman blinked. “You can’t have lived through today already. That’s impossible.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know,” Logan agreed, “and if I wasn’t living it I would agree with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The lights started flashing again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oxygen,” Logan muttered as he looked at the light. “Two locations. We won’t be able to fix it in time if we don’t split up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus nodded. “I’ll take the one in Admin, you two take the other.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No. No, he couldn’t let Remus go on his own. He couldn’t do that. He couldn’t let him die alone. He wouldn’t-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All thoughts in Logan’s head screeched to a halt as Remus pulled him in for a deep, needy kiss. A last kiss.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you,” the love of his life said before he pulled away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan didn’t get the chance to call after him, Roman dragging him towards the oxygen room before he could even breathe. He wouldn’t have been able to say anything though; he felt too numb, knowing Remus was doing this, even though he knew the consequences.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they entered the room he headed over to the panel next to the filter, entering the code to fix it… and the countdown didn’t stop for a moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... He didn’t make it,” Roman murmured, and as the numbers dropped lower and lower Logan took his hand, squeezing tight as the air thinned, as spots appeared in his vision, as he became dizzy and dropped to his knees. Wheezing, he pressed close to the warm body beside him as consciousness finally slipped through his finger.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Stardate: October 17th XX20. 6:00 AM</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The light of the cryodeck grew brighter beyond Logan’s closed eyes as he steadily awoke, his fingers curling. He waited in silent hope for several long and dragging seconds until he heard the familiar sound of Remus falling out of the cryotube. He didn’t know whether to laugh in relief or cry, knowing now that he would have to live through everything all over again.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Writing that scene with Patton was SO EMOTIONALLY DRAINING! I can't believe I got through it!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Log Entry #14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>That's a terrible idea... Let's do it.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>My first real time jump! Whoop!</p><p>Also, just a regular warning of blood, guts and gore for what's to come!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Stardate: October 17th XX20. 6:20 AM</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan watched Remus as he prepared their breakfast of pesto spaghetti, holding his coffee in hand. He had re-lived this day a dozen times over now, each time a little bit different from the last, but always ending the same; with his death. He had tried to keep people away from the Medbay a few times, but no matter what he did the creatures always found a new host. As far as he knew Roman, Virgil, Patton and Orange had all been in that destructive path, and he had seen what those Things had done to his friends a small handful of times, but never what they looked like before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had put off going there himself to see if there was any other ways he could discover more about these beings other than what they could do once they had latched onto their host -- or so he’d been telling himself, as fear wasn’t logical, especially considering all other logic had decided that it didn’t want anything to do with Sanders Station -- but now he knew he would have to do it. He had to see what it was, what they did, and perhaps then he would be able to make a more competent and effective plan to combat them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He noted Remus giving him a worried look and tried to give him a reassuring smile in return. He had told him, as he had almost every time since the first, and every time Remus would try to comfort him with his presence, though those looks were something that could never be avoided. He was starting to hate them, even though he knew there was nothing more than concern and love behind them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The familiar bowl slid into place in front of him, fork sticking out of the steaming nest of noodles in the middle, and Remus slid into the seat beside him, digging into his own breakfast. Food was always a distraction, a way for Remus to gather his thoughts, and while this wasn’t his usual comfort food, the way he was eating it implied as much.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what are we going to do?” the man asked, mouth full of yellow-green mush.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan sighed. “We’re going to do something that will likely end in one, or both, of us becoming the host to some parasitic alien lifeform and use our bodies to murder all of our friends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus hummed as he continued to eat. “Sounds like fun.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No it doesn’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus hummed again, swallowed, and took another bite, getting bits of pesto on his cheeks as he slurped up the pasta. “I’ll go in first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Remus-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That way you’ll be able to see what it is and what it does.” Remus met his gaze. “If we do both go, then you should at least get as much out of this as possible. Before the restart I mean.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t even know if there will even </span>
  <em>
    <span>be</span>
  </em>
  <span> a ‘restart’ if I do this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you’re doing it anyway,” he said as he played with his pasta, picking some of it up with his fingers. “You were going to go in there on your own.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” How did he-? “I didn’t say that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t have to. I know you, Logan. You would go in there on your own if you didn’t know I’d follow you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t the first time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t know the first time,” Remus said and shoved his handful of pasta in his mouth. “Eat up, Logie-Bogie. And don’t even think about not telling me in the future! I know when you’re hiding something from me, and then I’ll hound you like a goblin shark attacking the corpse of a sperm whale that’s rotting and bloated after it’s sunk to the bottom of the ocean.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While the imagery was slightly obscene, Logan knew he was telling the truth and he sighed. “I hate you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Love you too my adorkable nerd.”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Stardate: October 17th XX20. 7:10 AM</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Acting like everything was normal was perhaps one of the most difficult and stressful things Logan had ever done, especially since he knew Janus had noticed that something was wrong almost immediately. Luckily, all the man had done was raise his eyebrow at him in question but had ultimately let the matter drop and everyone had gone off to begin their tasks in peace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time, however, Virgil was helping Janus in the Communications room. Within hearing distance of Roman.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus had picked up one of the empty fuel containers from storage once everyone had gone their separate ways and was holding it as a make-shift weapon. It would more likely cause a small distraction than do any real damage, but it made the both of them feel safer, if only by a little.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Medbay was a bright room, the lighting reflecting off of the white walls and bed sheets that slowly came into view as they approached the doorway. Every door had been left open in the Station for a reason that Logan could not fathom. He had wondered previously why this might be but now he was simply grateful for the chance to see into the room before the doors opened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they had both expected there was no sign of the aliens; it was simply a well kept medical area with beds on either side of the room, scanners and a supply cupboard. Remus stepped in first, having to push Logan back though as the scientist still didn’t want Remus to be his guinea pig, willing or no.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Doesn’t look so bad in here,” the moustached man said, crouching down to look under the beds before moving on towards the end. “Bit disappointing they don’t have a proper lab though. Would have been cool to have all the autopsy equipment available. Even some of the old stuff would have been good. Less refined but it gets the job done.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was due to be added later,” Logan noted absentmindedly as he followed slowly behind, eyes darting over every surface. Where were they? What kind of space could they occupy? Were they like an octopus, able to fit through any hole with little limitation, or were they a larger mass? “When the rest of the crew arrives.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Weird scanner,” Remus said as he looked at the pad in the corner of the room. Logan had seen designs of it of course, and would probably have been more excited in a more ordinary situation, but as it was it had just become another new piece of information. “I wonder how they would scan people who can’t stand up. That’s ableist, that is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They probably have a handheld one somewhere,” Logan said, eyes landing on the vent covering to his right. “Remus.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hm?” Remus said, turning to him and letting his eyes fall to where he was pointing. “Yeah, I recon that would do it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s a few of them around the Station,” Logan said, noting how large it was. While he personally wouldn’t be able to fit through it, and neither would any other human aboard the ship, the evidence he had of what these creatures could do implied at least some mutation ability. “I’ll have to look up the schematics to see where each of them lead and which ones connect.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you do that on your tablet?” Remus asked, pulling Logan away from the vent by the back of his suit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I expect so.” Logan allowed his partner to step in front of him and pulled the device out, knowing Remus would keep an eye on things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He never looked away from the room for more than a few seconds, but he opened the files on his tablet, huffing in annoyance when he found that what he’d wanted wasn’t there. He was able to connect to the main systems of the Station wirelessly though, and he decided to download all the files that were available for public use. As soon as the schematics were downloaded he opened it, letting the other files download in the background as he looked at the designs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This vent is connected to Electronic and Security,” he said, following the lines that had been left. “There are also vents connecting the Upper Engine room and the Reactor, the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lower</span>
  </em>
  <span> Engine room and the Reactor, Weapons and Navigation, Shields and Navigation, and the cafeteria, Admin and the hallway between Shields and Navigation.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh, it’s like this place has been infected with woodworm,” Remus noted. “Do you think if we leave it a bit longer there’ll be even more? Can you imagine that? THe Station falling to pieces because of an infestation of space-worms?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan gave Remus and unimpressed look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shook his head and looked back at the tablet when it beeped. The download had completed, and it seemed that everything had been… Wait. “Log Entry One?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus glanced at him, curious. “Did the other guys leave a message?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No it…” He opened the file and could only stare at it. “I wrote this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Read it to me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um, alright,” Logan said and opened the file. “‘</span>
  <span>I'm not entirely sure why I'm writing this, but I've had this strange feeling all day. I do not usually allow emotions to cloud my judgement in such a way, and I expect it is perhaps a result of my time in stasis, but everything feels, for the lack of a better word, rehearsed. I know that what I am feeling is simply the imbalance of chemicals in my brain, not in small part due to the dream I had, but I still can't seem to part with this feeling. I hope it will pass, but for now I will have to endure it.’” He blinked at the screen a few more times before putting it away. “The station saved it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When did you write that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The second time we arrived.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How the fuck does that even work?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know. How does the whole Time Loop work? It’s not something I’ve really looked into!” He’d been a little more focused on trying to keep everyone alive. The science behind this impossible situation came second to survival and getting back to normal in his opinion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus snorted, looking back at the vent again. “At least now you know you can make notes or whatever so you don’t have to remember everything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That would be useful,” Logan had to conceded, “but I can’t do that now. We have to be prepared.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right,” Remus agreed. “Could be a long wait.”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Stardate: October 17th XX20. 9:47 AM</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan had ended up writing up some notes on the last few days after all, unable to hold his concentration on waiting for an attack he didn’t know when to expect for a prolonged period of time. Remus had been handling it a little easier, but he his attention had started to wane after the first half an hour, and so they took turns on watch after that, Remus getting through the tasks that needed completing while it was his turn to rest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had fallen into a content silence after a while, only broken up by short bursts of conversation, but now it had been over two hours since they had first entered the room and both of them were getting antsy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You said the first one was around ten thirty,” Remus said as he kicked his legs over the side of the bed he was waiting on, the fuel container in his lap and his chin resting on his hand. He was still watching the vent, but the boredom was obvious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Approximately that time, yes,” Logan replied as he finished the last of his notes; there had been many observations he had to get down after all. “I can’t be certain though as I have not had the chance to record that time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, it probably means that it’s going to turn up soon,” Remus said, pulling himself up to his feet. “Though it does depend how quick the process is. And if they’re even going to come for us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan paused in his typing. “What makes you say that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We have been watching the vent  almost constantly. That doesn’t give them much of a chance to strike, and I bet they’d want to surprise their victims. Though if there’s two of them and they’re pretty agile then they might just do it anyway. Or maybe they’ve been figuring out a way to trap us in here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As horrifying as that last statement was, it was possible. These creatures had to be intelligent otherwise they would not have been able to get away with some of the murders Logan had witnessed. He looked towards the door, trying not to make monsters out of shadows, but when he saw something move he jumped to his feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Remus!” he started, but that was all he got out before the door slammed shut.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shit," Remus said, hopping from his seat as well and holding the container ready, but in the moment of distraction the vent had opened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At first Logan thought it was grey in colour, very similar to the metal of the ground, but then it almost shimmered and he realised that it was more of a camouflage like that of a chameleon. It reminded him of an octopus, limbs like tentacles and they stretched out from the vent, only to congeal into a mass before growing all over again. It was more of a mass of something that shifted and changed as it wanted, but never into any true form.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then it jumped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus whacked it out of the air with the container, the hollow sound of the plastic echoing through the room as it hit the wall with a wet splat, but it wasn’t phased. If anything it seemed to get angry, if the way it formed sharp pincers seemed to indicate was correct. Remus braced himself again as it bunched up, ready to pounce, and swung once again. This time, however, it caught the container with those pincers, and reached for Remus’s hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He dropped it and kicked it away, backing up into Logan who was trying to get the doors open with little success.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How soon can you get the door open?” he asked, voice barely hiding the panic as the creature started curling around the beds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I need thirty seconds,” Logan said, frantically typing at his pad.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think we have thirty seconds,” Remus breathed, and Logan looked up to see the parasite prepare for its third attack. Logan could see what Remus was about to do, could picture it in his mind’s eye, and when his partner turned his head Logan could see the pain and regret in his gaze. “I love you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Remus, Remus </span>
  <em>
    <span>no</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” Logan cry, but it was too late.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The creature made contact with Remus’s chest as he rushed forwards, taking it with him as he crashed into the far wall. Logan watched, clutching at his tablet as Remus gasped, his hand holding the spot the parasite had been, but in its place was a hole, torn through the thick fabric of the suit, red staining the edges of the tear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan was frozen, the horror paralysing him as Remus wheezed and coughed, his eyes wide as he stared blankly at the ground. He doubled over with a garbled scream, falling to his knees a moment later as blood seeped into other spots of the suit, the green turning a dark brown. He fell forwards, the screen of his helmet hitting the floor and he rolled to his side, body twitching and tensing as though he were having an attack, the noises from his throat were strangled, choked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then he fell still.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tears had fallen silently down Logan’s cheeks as he’d watched his partner’s, his love’s, his heart’s agony, and still more fell as he watched his stillness. He knew he should have been trying to open the door, knew that the man before him was no longer Remus, but he was stuck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An agonising minute passed, but as it did threads of matter, dark and sharp, spun themselves around Remus’s body, not unlike that of a silk worm, creating a thin layer that corroded matter, the human shape sagging before filling out again. The blackness of the tread faded into the green of Remus’s suit, his figure clean and whole, as though the last five minutes hadn’t happened, and Logan heard it breathe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A finger twitched, then a leg, and for a few moments the thing in Remus’s form stretched before pushing itself up onto his feet. It looked down at its stolen hands, curling them experimentally. Then it looked up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan knew that it would look like him, but seeing Remus’s face staring blankly at him was enough to tear him from his stupor, and he tried frantically to turn back to the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lo-gan,” it said using Remus’s voice, the tone lilting and sing-song. “Oh love of my life. My sweet, bleeding heart.” Hands grasped at his wrists and squeezed, forcing him to release the tablet, which smashed against the ground. “What’s wrong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You… you…” Logan tried, but found the words were almost stuck in his throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me what?” Not-Remus asked, giving him a sharp smile, mocking and threatening. “You can tell me. You can tell me anything, remember? You trust me.” It pouted. “Don’t you trust me anymore?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re not Remus.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The creature stared blankly at him for a few moments before Logan felt something wrap around his arms, his legs, his middle, and he looked down to see that the creature that Remus had become was using its tentacles to hold him in place. He tried to struggle but it was no use.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It grinned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know too much.” It leaned in closer, Logan gasping as his helmet was removed and Not-Remus’s melted away, his lips brushing against Logan’s ear. “You’ll be the perfect host.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Logan said, tugging harder at the limbs, but still they wouldn’t budge. “No. No! Let me </span>
  <em>
    <span>go</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not-Remus tilted his head to the side, giving Logan room to see the vent opening and a second parasite crawled out. Logan squirmed as it came closer, vanishing from his sight for several moments before it crawled into sight on Not-Remus’s shoulder. He tried to turn away, but the Thing used Remus’s hand to hold his jaw open, a tentacle wrapping around his head to hold it steady, and the parasite lunged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It might have looked slimy, but there was nothing smooth about it as it entered; sharp claws ripped at his tongue, stretching and tearing down his esophagus, piercing every organ along the way. His breath gurgled in his lungs as they began to fill with his own blood, his heart stuttered as it was clawed at and torn, his kidneys were ruptured, he burned as his stomach was sliced open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And all the while his lover’s face watched on with glee as the agony engulfed him completely.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Stardate: October 17th XX20. 10:03 AM</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan exhaled, opening his eyes to find Remus stood before him, a smirk on his lips and his hands grasping Logans upper arms to keep him steady as he ensured that his body would function properly. Once he was sure he could hold his own weight he gave Remus a look and he was allowed to stand on his own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There are five others on this ship, and they do not belong,” he said, which only made Remus bounce excitedly on the spot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know! We should pull their intestines out through their assholes. Oo! Or maybe we could pull them apart piece by piece! Wouldn’t that be fun?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan sighed. He should have expected as much from him. “As long as they end up dead I don’t care.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus giggled and headed towards the vent. “I’ve got Orange!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then I shall find Janus,” Logan said, picking up his tablet with a wrinkled nose. It was cracked beyond repair unfortunately, so he left it on the bed nearby and followed Remus to the vent; he wouldn’t be able to open the door without it after all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus held the hatch open with a flourished bow, allowing Logan to detangle his human form and slip into the airway with ease, creeping through until he reached a new opening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stepped back into his human form in the Electrical room and moved past the various beeping and flashing lights on the walls, demanding that someone pay attention to them, heading out into the corridor. The walk to Communications didn’t take too long and Logan soon found himself stood behind Janus as he fiddled with something on the screens, his suit undoubtedly hooked up to the network so he could hear the radio.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man in yellow only had a few moments to stiffen before Logan sharpened his right arm and shoved it through Janus’s back, pinning him to the desk as he sent furter tendrils out like a web through the rest of the body. He listened impassively to the choked noises of his death, waiting patiently for his heart to stop and his breathing to end before withdrawing his arm and returning his shape to its previous form with no evidence of blood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Humans were so fragile, and could be so messy when they died. Janus was no different and his body was crumpled at his feet. With barely another glance he turned and left the room, going in search of his next victim.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Roman was in the room next to Communications, working on something under the main walkway. It would have been the perfect opportunity to attack, but he still needed time to recover from his exerting experience; creating a form like he'd just done to dispose of the yellow one was tiring and unusual, and this body wasn't used to it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He waited, listening to the sounds of tools being used and dropped into tool boxes as his strength returned, pleased that this one knew how to clean up after itself. The sound of tunes from the cartoon show Steven Universe being hummed was less pleasing though, even if it did show that Roman was an adequate singer. It didn’t take too long before he felt he was ready to act though, and he knocked on the wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Roman?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was the jangle of something being dropped and the man in red looked out from beneath the walkway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Microsoft Nerd!” Roman exclaimed in surprise as he pulled himself out. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes, well, I have found that I am in need of your assistance," Logan replied, giving him a smile. "However, you seem to be busy. I can come back-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No! No, it's fine," Roman replied hastily, just as he knew he would, and he started to climb up onto the main path."It's mostly just me wanting to make sure everything's fit for a king." He puffed his chest out a little, probably in order to show pride, but Logan wasn't really paying attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm sure it will be the best it can be under your care," he said with a nod. "Are you sure I can pull you away?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Positive," Roman said with a grin. "What seems to be the problem?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, to be perfectly blunt; it's you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Roman blinked, his grin slipping. "... Excuse me?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh not you specifically,” Logan clarified with a nonchalant wave of his hand. “I mean you in general. Humans.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… don’t understand,” Roman said, the corner of his mouth curling. “Is this some sort of a joke?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan hummed, growing tired of the conversation, and struck. He unfurled again, tentacles stretching out and his body splitting into a gaping maw. Roman’s fight or flight reflexes were a little slow, but that only gave Logan more time to hold him. He’d bitten Roman’s head off just as he’d started to scream.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Roman?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan pulled back into his human form, looking towards where the voice had come from. It must have been Patton or Virgil, who must have been in Navigation together. It wasn’t too far from here, and the sound must have travelled. He should have been quicker.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dropping Roman’s headless body Logan turned and ran, fleeing from the scene. A few moments later he heard the scream of horror he’d been expecting and the alarm for a meeting blared throughout the halls. It seemed his incompetence might actually help them after all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Less than five minutes later and he was stood with Remus opposite Virgil and Patton, who were both looking around at the doors in fear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wh-where are the others?” Virgil asked, cheeks gaunt and his body shaking in fear. “They should be here. Where are they?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’ll be here soon,” Patton said, sniffing a little as he wrapped his arm around Virgil’s shoulder, only for the man in purple to pull away and hunch his shoulders as he curled his arms around himself. “Kiddo?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He… His head was…” Virgil gulped, his breathing becoming erratic as he looked between each of them. “It was one of you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Virgil, please-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You killed him! You killed </span>
  <em>
    <span>everyone</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus chuckled as Virgil started to back away. “You were the one who set off the alarm,” he said, and his chuckles turned into giggles. “You set off the alarm to call everyone here, even though you thought one of us killed everyone?” He was all out laughing now, and even Logan had started looking at him with a frown. “How stupid can you get, Emo?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Remus!” Patton said, aghast and looking sickly. “How can you laugh in a situation like this? Your brother is dead!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus continued to laugh to himself for a few moments before he dropped the facade entirely and grinned at them, his teeth sharp and gaze predatory. “Because you’ll be joining them!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two remaining humans did not get far before Remus caught them, and Logan helped him paint the walls red with their blood.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span class="u">Stardate: October 17th XX20. 6:00 AM</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The light of the cryodeck grew steadily brighter, and the hum of the ship was soothing, but Logan couldn’t see it through his tears, couldn’t hear it through his sobs and screams, and he tried desperately to rub the feeling of blood from his skin, scratching at his arms and cheek until something grabbed his wrists.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Logan! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Logan</span>
  </em>
  <span>! It’s okay! It was just a dream!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan froze, choking on a sob as he looked up at Remus -- at his human, beautiful, loving partner with nothing but concern and love in his eyes -- and shot up into his arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s it,” Remus soothed rubbing at his back and kissing his temple. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan could only cry into Remus’s shirt as the screams of his friends haunted his thoughts.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Woof, damn, not had him wake up screaming before... Man, I'm really putting him through hell, aren't I?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Log Entry #59</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Logan is exhausted; death does not mean sleep, not for him.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Less blood and gore and body horror than usual, but it's still not pleasant!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Stardate: October 17th XX20. 6:17 AM</span>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Logan was tired. He’d lived the same six hours over fifty times now, give or take an hour or so each time, and not once had he been given a chance to rest. Though his body might have been able to handle the strain this time loop was creating due to its very nature, his mind could not. He had snapped at Remus for the first time today, had pushed him away before Remus pushed past his defences and held him close until he told him what was going on with the briefest of explanations.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remus had become a Host to one of the parasites no more than five times, the lowest number of all the others barring himself, mostly because Logan had been with him almost all the time save for those four instances when they'd been separated, and yet, despite knowing that time had been reset, making the last run essentially non-existent, Logan still couldn’t bring himself to trust the man he loved most in the world until those arms were around him. He felt disgusted with himself for ever doing so, and the guilt still riddled him for being so frozen when it had happened that first time, but the experience took its toll.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The worst time had been when they had been forced to vent him, sending the feral creature in Remus’s form shooting into space. Logan had watched as he’d drifted slowly away, his body expanding, a small splatter of blood escaping his lips as the oxygen was pulled from his lungs, rupturing them, until he grew still. Waking up after that, despite knowing that the real Remus had been dead long before that moment, Logan had hovered over Remus as he recovered from falling out of his cryotube until, after that initial contact, he clung to his partner and sobbed into his shirt for a long time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a similar situation to the one he was in now actually, sitting in Remus’s lap as the man hummed, swaying back and forth and rubbing at his back. He wanted to sleep here, to just drift off and forget all of this was happening. He needed to recharge, but he couldn't.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can tell them that the cryosleep messed you up,” Remus suggested softly, pressing a kiss to his hair. “We can say that you need time to recover and you can stay here and sleep.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Logan shook his head. “But then everyone will die.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sounds like we do anyway,” Remus said. It was supposed to be comforting, or at least reassuring that taking a break would be okay, but Logan couldn’t help but to flinch. “Okay, not the right thing to say, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re burning yourself out.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t stop.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You </span>
  <em>
    <span>have</span>
  </em>
  <span> to.” Remus held his face softly in his hands. “Why don’t you go back to sleep? Rest. Recuperate. Even I know I have to stop every so often or I’ll crash worse than the Hindenburg.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t leave you to face this alone,” Logan said, leaning into his hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not. You’ve told me what’s happening and where to find the information I need to prepare.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not the same.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well I’m not letting you leave this room.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Logan scowled at his boyfriend. “They will </span>
  <em>
    <span>kill you</span>
  </em>
  <span>. They will pull you apart, shred you from within, vent you into space, turn you inside out-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remus stopped his words with his lips. Logan hated how he still couldn’t resist this, that he would still kiss him back with desperation when he knew it was a distraction, but he couldn’t resist. These moments were sometimes few and far between, and he clung to them like a man starved of affection.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I would die for you a million times if I had to,” Remus said against his mouth as he pulled a little away, even as Logan followed him. “I can see how tired you are. Sleep.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Logan shook his head. “I can’t. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>won’t</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have to, or you’ll collapse.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then I’ll collapse.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Logan!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He huffed. “I won’t be able to anyway. My body is well rested.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s what drugs are for,” Remus said with a roll of his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Drugs? “You mean sedatives?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s what I said.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even though Remus was giving him one of his many smirks, undoubtedly a little proud of himself, Logan could see the worry etched into the faint lines by his eyes and the edges of his mouth, even in the way his fingers were still holding onto his face a little harder than usual. Remus was scared for him and that was just about enough to convince him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Janus is in charge of the mission,” he said after deflating with a sigh. “Patton and Virgil are usually the targets of the parasites, though I haven’t been able to figure out why yet, just that they have been most frequently chosen as the hosts. Orange is usually the first victim, probably because he is the one with the most advanced knowledge of the reactor and the engines. And work with Roman when you can; I know you can be a formidable team when you get past your differences.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remus nodded to each point, even if he looked disappointed at not being chosen to be the new leader, and rubbed his thumb over Logan’s cheek. “You’re making the right decision.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The only right decision I’ve made since this started was telling you,” Logan said and turned his head to kiss Remus’s palm. “I could never regret you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you too, Lo,” Remus said, pressing a kiss to his lips again. “I’ll be here when you wake up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know,” Logan replied, unable to keep his sadness from tainting his words. “You always are.”</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Stardate: October 17th XX20. 6:00 AM</span>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Logan woke with the rising light of the fake dawn. The sting of the needle from the sedative had vanished, and the tingle of the cryosleep still sat in his muscles. He sighed, closing his eyes as he remembered his last conscious moments and smiled to himself when he heard the familiar thump of Remus falling out of the cryotube. The sound was more comforting than he thought could be possible, especially considering Remus was getting hurt every time, but it was a confirmation that Remus was there, that even though all these horrible things were happening, he was still able to have these moments with the love of his life.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He did feel more rested now, even if not recovered completely (though he doubted there would be much that would help him recover from what he was experiencing), and he heaved his still aching body up to look down at the one that was groaning on the floor with a fond smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re supposed to wait for your blood flow to return to normal,” he said, voice gravelly as it always was just after waking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remus groaned again and looked up with a squint and a blink before he rolled over and grinned up at him. “Hey, beautiful,” he said, his voice sending shivers up Logan’s spine. “Did they make a mistake at the gates of heaven, because I’m pretty sure I’m meant to be roasting with a spit up my butt right now and not looking at a beautiful angel.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Logan grinned, blushing a little. “Are you sure I’m not some sort of demon here to trick you into Hell?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d follow you anywhere; heaven or hell” Remus said, and Logan hummed at the sound of awe the man made.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know you would,” Logan said, only for his smile to fall a fraction. “I’ve already led you to your death.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remus blinked at him again. “Huh?”</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Stardate: October 17th XX20. 7:06 AM</span>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How many of those notes have you made?” Remus asked as Logan walked with him towards the storage room, having decided to start his journey there this time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fifty-two,” Logan replied, waiting for the bar to finish loading while absently picking up the empty fuel container to set Orange up for refuelling later. “I have, unfortunately, been unable to make notes in some instances, though I have made up for some of those delays in future loops.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And you’ve relived this day…?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This will be my fifty-ninth time,” Logan replied, setting his tablet aside so he could fill up the container.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remus whistled. “And you don’t even know how many times we’d gone through the loop before!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before? Oh, he should have thought of that. It was entirely possible that the first time he could recall living through this ‘cursed’ day (if he was using the expression correctly) was not in fact the first time he had lived it. No one else could remember after all, and he had not made any notes the first time, so there would have been no proof left behind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s getting kinda full there, Logie.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Logan flinched and quickly turned off the tap before the container could spill. “I… had not considered that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well it kinda makes sense, doesn’t it?” Remus said, screwing the cap onto the container and pulling Logan’s hand into his. “Do you think anyone else will remember? One of the aliens maybe!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please, don’t even suggest that!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Logan took a deep breath to calm himself and banish the thought of an even more challenging experience, and nodded. “It’s possible.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remus hummed and gave his hand a squeeze. “Can I look at the notes?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course.” He reached for his tablet and handed it over without looking at the screen, prying his fingers away so he could go in search of the next container.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Um, how many notes did you say you’ve made?” Remus asked, the light of the screen reflecting on the surface of his visor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fifty-two,” Logan replied, finding the container behind a box. “Why?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because there’s fifty-three.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Logan paused. “... What does the last one say?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It doesn’t say anything,” Remus said. “It’s a video, but it says I have to access it in Communications.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A video? “You must have made it. I was asleep all of… yesterday.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Should we watch it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think we all should.”</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Stardate: October 17th XX20. 7:18 AM</span>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t see why you couldn’t have done this earlier,” Orange said as he leaned against the wall, arms folded across his chest. “We’ve only been here for fifteen minutes. I haven’t had the chance to do anything yet.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fifteen minutes is </span>
  <em>
    <span>plenty</span>
  </em>
  <span> of time to set up a deep space communications network,” Janus chipped in. “It’s not like we’ll need it or anything.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am well aware that I am causing a great frustration to all of you, but I must insist on everyone watching this,” Logan said, still searching the system for the file.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Haven’t we got more important things to be doing?” Virgil said. “Fixing the Station, maybe?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This is important,” Remus said, and Logan smiled. He’d stationed himself next to him, keeping watch on their team to make sure none of them would leave without making them feel trapped.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why?” Roman asked, suspicious.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because it is.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His skills in defending this argument needed a little work though. At least now he’d found the file, and he opened it. A video file opened on the main screen as a black box, the play button waiting to be clicked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s the video about?” Patton asked as Logan stood up from his chair to allow everyone to see.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” he replied softly and, taking Remus’s hand, pressed play.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For a few seconds the screen remained blank, only a timestamp in the corner counting the seconds giving any real indication of time passing as heavy breathing could be heard.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Twelve thirty?” Janus said, looking at the numbers. “But the system-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Whatever the man in yellow was about to say was lost as there was some rustling and the camera was uncovered. It was the Communications room from the perspective of the screen; the lights were off, but the screen was giving off enough light to reveal the mess the room had become. They couldn’t see the floor, but they could see that the door was closed, and there were streaks of what had to be blood across the wall.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And then there was the figure. Remus’s fingers tightened in Logan’s as they watched him haul Janus’s torso from the desk to set him down on the ground, the eyes already milking over. The body left a stain on his green suit, and when he looked back at the camera, it revealed that the visor on his helmet had been broken, a chunk of it missing entirely. He huffed and quickly removed it, tossing it aside.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked pale, his eyes holding an edge of mania, and his entire right ear and a section of his hair was missing dripping blood down his chin, which they saw with more clarity when Remus turned his head, his eyes on where the screen must have been. He laughed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh man, they got me good,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” they said with a cracking voice, and Logan noticed a few side-glances towards them, but he was more focused on how the Remus on the screen was trembling ever so slightly. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Shit. I’m not going to have time to start this again, so uh, I’m sorry you had to see... </span>
  </em>
  <span>“ He looked down at where he’d just put Janus’s body and swallowed. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>They’ll be here any minute. I’ll be torn to shreds for sure.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This laugh was broken and he sounded so close to snapping. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>You told me! Patton and Virgil, you said. I kept an eye on them, but then Orange…</span>
  </em>
  <span>” He shook his head. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck. </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>Fuck!</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> Why did I let him leave?</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a bang on the door behind him and he spun around, but quickly turned back. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Rambling. Shit. They’ll get through-- I read all your notes. All of them. You’ve been through some fucked up shit, Logie! I mean, I believed you when you told me, but when I read it… This loop is fucked up.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was another bang.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh Re~mus!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” It was Patton’s voice, still so familiar and joyful, and yet punctuated with another hit to the door. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Come out and play!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remus had shut his eyes, leaning against the desk. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>I watched them pull Roman’s heart out of his chest,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” he said, a tear dripping from his cheek. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Janus is… Well, you saw that. Orange is scattered across one of the Engine rooms and they…  they found you. They took you and they made me watch as they put you in the trash shoot and--</span>
  </em>
  <span>” He cut himself off as another bang rattled the door and looked up into the camera, eyes filled with tears.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>You had to do that to me once. I don’t know how you survived. It felt like my soul was being torn out of my chest when I watched you die.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” He wiped at his cheeks, wincing as he caught the torn flesh, but otherwise he didn’t seem to care. He looked down again, his face hidden by his hair. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t know if this will even work, but I wanted to leave a note, like you do.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” When he looked up again his face was scarily blank.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Log Entry number fifty-three. The parasites have taken Patton and Virgil as hosts again. It was in the Medbay. They went after Janus first, as he was alone. There’s evidence they played with him before they pulled him in two.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Who are you talking to, Remus?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” came Virgil’s voice from beyond the door. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>We’re the only ones left.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remus stalwartly ignored them, eyes fixed on the camera. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Orange and I found the body. He left to fetch the fuel so we could try to burn whatever they are. I heard his screams when I found Virgil, or the thing he’d become, with Roman. My brother had been pinned to the wall by its tentacles, and it ripped his heart out as he begged for mercy.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another thud, this one louder than the others before it, and Remus flinched.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>They must have run out of energy or something, because they only captured me and dragged me into Storage. The Thing with Patton’s face had dragged your body off the shuttle. You were still asleep when they stuffed you in the trash shoot. I… I couldn’t tear my eyes away. I must have screamed myself hoarse.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked over his shoulder as the metal of the door groaned with the next hit, then turned quickly back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>I somehow managed to escape, though not before they did this.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” He motioned to his missing ear. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>I ran everywhere. I think I must have slipped in Orange’s blood when I found what was left of him in that Engine room, because I left footprints. This is the first room I could find without vents. You mentioned vents a lot.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The door groaned again and bent a little behind Remus, but he didn’t look this time. He just smiled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>I wish I could have done more. I wish I could have saved you, but… I know I’ll see you again. I’ll wake up and fall out of the cryotube and I’ll make you pesto pasta for breakfast just to try to make you smile. You’ll tell me about this fucking time loop and I’ll believe you, because I know you. I know you would never lie to me about this. And I will tell you I love you. I’ll tell you that you mean more to me than life itself. I’ll-</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The door behind him tore open, the metal shredding like cardboard, and the figures of Virgil and Patton stepped through. Remus tried desperately to reach something on the desk but he was pulled away by Patton, who had barely moved, before he was given the chance. Remus’s helmet flew at Patton before Janus’s followed, and the wheely chair started to move across the screen as Remus yelled profanities at the creatures.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Virgil and Patton, meanwhile, had begun to unfurl, their tentacles escaping and their bodies splitting into gaping maws.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Now that wasn’t very nice,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Not-Patton said as he pulled a struggling Remus up into the air by his foot, even as he continued to try and fight. A second, third and fourth tentacle stretched out to hold him still, and still he struggled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck you! Fuck both of you! You dickasses both deserve to-</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Remus’s shouts became muffled as Not-Virgil covered his mouth and gave the struggling man a considering look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>You know, you’ve always been so fond of medieval torture,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” it said. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Why don’t we try that, what was it? Ah yes, being hung, drawn and quartered.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>That sounds like fun!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Not-Patton said. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Let’s do it in the cafeteria. The tables are better there.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not-Virgil nodded with a double grin and helped drag the screaming Remus from the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took Logan a few seconds to remember how to breathe, staring at the screen as the silence around him threatened to engulf him, but then Remus pulled him closer and gave him the best hug he could while they were still in their suits. Logan clutched back at him, turning away from the screen as Remus continued to stare at it over his shoulder, and his entire body flinched when his own agonised screams came from the speakers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So-someone turn it off,” Remus said, shaken but still standing strong somehow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was some shuffling and the screams suddenly cut off, making the silence somehow even more unbearable. Remus gave Logan another squeeze.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That… that can’t be real,” Virgil said after a few more moments, the edges of panic staining his words. “I’m not… Patton and I…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Remus?” Roman said, and Logan pulled away from his partner enough so they could both turn towards the rest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were all in various states of shock or disbelief; Patton had tears streaming down his cheeks, Virgil was clutching at his body, Janus looked to be trying to figure out if it had been an elaborate joke or not, and Roman looked blank. Orange, however, was the only one to look somewhat angry, which Logan thought was fair considering the circumstances.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s real,” Remus said, his eyes still on the screen as he spoke but they landed on his brother soon after. “Everything I… </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> said is true.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can’t expect me to believe that,” Orange said with a snort. “It’s very clever though. Did you set it up before we left Earth?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He can’t have.” Janus said hesitantly. “The plans for the Station were kept confidential, to be released to the public after we’d already left, and no one else would have helped him gain access.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Orange frowned. “That… That can’t be right. If it was then…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is everybody okay?” Patton asked beyond the tears.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh yes,” Janus drawled. “I absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>love</span>
  </em>
  <span> watching one of my best friends get dragged away to be tortured and killed. It hasn’t affected me </span>
  <em>
    <span>at all</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Especially</span>
  </em>
  <span> not the part where he had to drag my own lifeless body away from the camera.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“... Yeah, me too,” Patton said softly, and he leaned into the hand Roman had set on his shoulder. “How is this possible?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Remus was talking to Logan in the video,” Roman pointed out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” Logan said. “I… I haven’t been able to find an answer. There must be some sort of… rift or something. A black hole near our orbit that’s distorting the flow of time. There is so much we don’t know about them after all, and it’s possible, but I haven’t seen any that would be close enough to cause any real changes to the environment. Perhaps it’s the parasites themselves, but that doesn’t make any sense or they would remember as well, and that hasn’t happened. Not yet at least, and I hope it never does.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It won’t,” Remus said, and Logan graced him with a brief smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Believe us or not, this is still a problem,” he continued. “The parasites only take a host after 9:30am, though I cannot tell you the exact time as it changes depending on a variety of variables, but it is always near the Medbay or the Reactor. I suspect they might be found in the vents but I cannot be certain.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh. Great,” Virgil said, Orange having to step to his side to guide him into the chair, He immediately ducked his head between his knees and Logan could hear him trying to control his breathing. Patton was at his side a moment later to hold his hand and help guide him through his breathing techniques.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Perhaps we should have a codeword!” Roman suggested with forced charm. “Something to say to each other so we know if anyone’s… you know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Logan shook his head. “It wouldn’t work. The parasite essentially </span>
  <em>
    <span>becomes</span>
  </em>
  <span> us once it’s in our system. The host knows that it’s a host, that it was once human, they just don’t care anymore.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And how would you know that?” Janus asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve… been one, once,” Logan replied quietly, looking away as Remus’s hand squeezed him in comfort. It was really a miracle that he hadn't been caught again, and it had been a close call on a few occasions, but somehow that first time had remained the only time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you propose we do then?” Orange asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We stick together, get through as many tasks as we can to get the Station back to full operation before the creatures emerge, and find a way to get them off the Station.”</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Stardate: October 17th XX20. 10:35 AM</span>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There had been no sign of the aliens. It had been an hour since they should have appeared, and yet there had been nothing but a growing sense of dread and, in Orange's case, annoyance. It was becoming increasingly clear that the engineer was growing impatient, and that his belief in the credibility of the video was tenuous at best. The further notes on what Logan had been able to assess from his observation of the creatures had not helped either, though the others had been enough to keep him satisfied for a time. However, it seemed that his patience had finally run its course.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Look, you guys can all huddle together like scared little bunnies," he said, as they waited for Virgil to finish sorting out the medical supplies, "but we have a job to do, and we can't do it if we're doing everything one bit at a time!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Kiddo, we're trying to-" Patton started, but Orange huffed and started walking towards the door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Spare me," he spat. "I'll be in the engine rooms if anyone needs me, </span>
  <em>
    <span>doing my job</span>
  </em>
  <span>."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With that he stormed out of the Medbay, heading out of sight around the corner. Logan, who had been taking notes about their situation on his pad on the bed nearest the door, looked after him and didn't even blink when the door shut immediately after. He wouldn't have been able to reach him in time either way. He turned back around and gave Remus a look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"That… that was you, right, Sherlock?" Roman asked as his brother heaved the mattress he'd been lying on off the bed frame. The lights went out a moment later and Patton squeaked in alarm as the room plunged into a pitch darkness.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No," Logan replied, glancing up at the fading glow in the bulbs. "No it wasn't." He turned back to his pad and started to hack into the door to open it again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The mattress hit the floor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Shit, where's the vent?" Remus cursed, and Logan could hear him dragging the mattress around.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Over here." Janus.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Get away from it," Remus growled, even as he dragged the mattress closer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Be careful," Patton said from next to Virgil, the two of whom were the only people visible thanks to the faint light of the isolated test lab.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remus grunted and, after some sounds of shuffling, the mattress flopped down heavily again, this time with a slight echo.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Got it," Remus said after a little more shuffling. "How are the doors, Lo?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Logan tapped a few more keys and had the door ready to open. "I'll open it when you get here. We don't know if they're waiting for us out there."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You mean Orange might be-?" Roman asked, but couldn't bring himself to finish.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I believe it is all but certain," Logan confirmed, and he heard someone -- probably Patton or Virgil -- whimper.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was some more shuffling and Logan turned his screen around to shed some light on the room. From the shadows cast and the sight his suit could offer him, he could just about see Roman coming slowly closer, his arms outstretched so he wouldn't go into anything. Janus, Remus, Patton and Virgil were all clustered as a group, Remus keeping his hand on Janus's shoulder as he glanced back at where the mattress (and therefore the vent) must have been while Virgil seemed to twitch at every sound.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once everyone had reached him Logan slid off the bed and joined the cluster. "Let's go."</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Stardate: October 17th XX20. 10:52 AM</span>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Walking around so close together was not only cumbersome but also a little claustrophobic. Logan could hear every breath, every footstep, feel each unexpected touch and each slide of shoes against his own. Patton and Roman would occasionally whisper the breathing exercises to Virgil to keep him from panicking too much, but otherwise it was a slow walk in near silence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They had walked through both engine rooms on their journey to Electrical, and while it was dark, there had been no sound of Orange on the entire journey. It was all but certain that he was now a Host. Now, however, they had all stopped to look into the ominous darkness of the room before.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>This</span>
  </em>
  <span> doesn't feel like a trap at </span>
  <em>
    <span>all</span>
  </em>
  <span>," Janus said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Do you think Orange might be in there?" Patton asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Either that, or the second parasite is lying in wait," Logan replied, squeezing Remus's hand. "Either way, something has to be in there."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So someone's either going to end up becoming a big tentacle monster with a mouth that tears their body in two, or they're going to end up as a kebab," Remus said with a nod. "I think I'd prefer kebab myself."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I would prefer it if neither situation happened," Roman said, Virgil making a noise of agreement.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There were a few seconds where nothing happened, but then Logan sighed and released Remus's hand to step forward; or at least he tried to.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What are you doing?" he asked, Remus's hold having only grown stronger.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm not letting you go in there alone."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Who said I was doing that?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You did." Remus caught his shoulder and turned in to face him. "You're never silent in group projects."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Logan clenched his jaw. "You know me too well."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You know me better," Remus said with a slow grin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Logan huffed in annoyance but turned back to the others. "The fuse box is at the back, next to a vent," he said. "If we stick together and keep an eye on it then we should be able to get through this easily enough."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And if Orange is in there?" Virgil asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Logan shared a look with Remus (as much as he could in the almost complete darkness anyway). "We will have to… take action."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"... Oh," Virgil said, sounding a little queasy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In a way Logan envied their naivety. He envied their ability to hope for a better solution, their expectations of getting out of this alive, but his own experiences had worn that away. He had always been defined by the truths and facts that had become his life, but now even that was being worn away, and he knew he was becoming more jaded in each loop.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Let's get this over with," Roman said, bringing Logan out from his thoughts.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The scientist nodded and pulled Remus after him into Electrical. "The fuse  box is just around-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The door slammed shut, cutting the couple off from everyone else.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“-... the corner.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remus stepped closer as a few bangs came from the door. “We’re dead, aren’t we.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Logan swallowed. “Yes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remus hummed. “These aliens; they take on our memories when they take us for a host?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I… yes, that’s right.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And we just want to kill everyone in sight.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes,” Logan replied, trying to block out the noises that were coming from outside the door. He needed all of his senses if he was going to get them both through this, though every calculation he was making was only leading them towards one bloody and awful end. “You’re just… angry, and there’s this hunger, and you crave it. Nothing from before matters. You simply loath humanity.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remus hummed again, and they both froze when they saw something moving in the dark. Logan was so focused on it that he barely registered the click-hiss that came from beside him, from Remus, and he only understood that he had removed his helmet when he was shoved back into the wall behind them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>No</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He could see it happening, the lights of the Medbay blinding in his memory as Remus threw himself forwards, but this time he would not be frozen. There was shouting coming from the other side of the door as he pushed himself off the wall, chasing Remus into the dark, but when the love of his stopped short and Logan crashed into his back, he knew he was too late.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Remus,” he breathed, catching him as his knees gave out and holding him close as he choked on his own blood. “Oh God, what did you do?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remus grinned. “Saved… you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was no time to argue, and the smile fell quickly to a cough as the parasite ravaged his body, making its home inside him. “Yes. You saved me, Remus,” he said, all but tearing his own helmet from his head. “It’s okay. It’s going to be okay.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He kissed Remus’s blood spattered lips and carded his fingers through his hair as the door opened, ten seconds too late.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“L-Love… yo-you,” Remus stuttered, only to choke, his body stiffening as the shaking began.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you too,” Logan said, vaguely aware that the others were talking, that someone was moving, and a second later the lights were on again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There were tears streaming down Remus’s cheeks, and tears running down his own. He could see the patches of red where the parasite was chewing away at Remus’s body, seeping into the fibres of the suit, and Remus struggled with himself until he roared in pain. Logan watched as it clouded his eyes, his gaze only briefly leaving his partner’s when Roman tried to come to their side, but was mercifully held back by Virgil and Patton.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay,” he muttered as Remus’s body slowly went limp in his arms. “I love you, Remus. I love you. It’s going to be okay.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The dark threads he had seen before started to seep from each blood-soaked spot, crawling out to start encompassing Remus’s body, and he choked on a sob, holding Remus closer. All too soon the body was completely encompassed, and the shape in his arms congealed with the pressure he was exerting with his arms. Someone tried to pull him away but he shook them off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll distract him,” he said, though the tears threatened to choke him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Logan-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Go</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was only a brief hesitation before they left. He tried not to think of the anguish in Roman’s eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As the mass in his arms solidified back into the shape of his lover, his strands of hair growing back between Logan’s fingers, he looked into those eyes that he had grown to love and saw the brief flash of recognition.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Logan…” Remus said, the pain gone but the fear he had seen before still hanging onto its last threads, but then even that was snuffed out, and all that was left was a growing hunger. The grin that stretched Remus’s lips grew inhumanly wide as sharp tendrils extended out from him to puncture Logan in every way possible. He gasped as he clung to Remus’s form, vowing to never let this happen again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You smell delicious.”</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Stardate: October 17th XX20. 6:00 AM</span>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Logan woke with wet cheeks. The light of the cyrodeck had never felt so cold.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I was heavily inspired by one of fangirltothefullest's posts for the end there! If anyone follows their tumblr you probably noticed that.<br/>Hope you guys enjoyed!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Log Entry...</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Time passes.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>WARNING! Hints towards suicidal tendencies towards the end of the chapter!</p>
<p>If you don't feel comfortable reading I will leave a quick summary in the end notes.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Log Entry #64 - Loop #70</span>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I have been unsuccessful in my attempts to find a way to trap the parasites. Remus’s attempt at covering all the vents only delayed them for a while, though I had not expected it to be any different considering how easily they burrow through our suits when searching for a host. There is not enough of any one material to truly test their abilities, but through my experiences so far I believe that it is safe to assume that, with enough time, they would be able to get through most of what we have access to on this Station and the shuttle that brought us here.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The video proof Remus had provided confirmed that they are able to get through steel once they have a host, but any data for what their attributes are like as an individual species are difficult to come by. I believe that I will have to use myself as bait to get a clearer picture, though I am hesitant to do so. I am unsure if my current state of ‘looping’ is something that can be transferred, even if the one instance I have already experienced has yielded no such results.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Orange remains stubborn in his disbelief of this situation. I expect the only way I am going to be able to convince him that I am not lying is if we capture one of these aliens. So far he has been the one that has constantly left the group once the video has been shown. I am struggling to think of other ways to keep him with us. He will not believe even himself, should I manage to convince him to leave himself a message, as the technology we have had access to is too advanced to make it impossible to create a fake recording.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>My main focus will have to be removing the creatures once they have taken on hosts. I would prefer not to do this as I would miss every member of this team -- every friend I have made -- but I haven’t been able to prevent the creation of these… imposters.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Perhaps I should look into how they arrived on the Sanders Station. There could be vital information to be discovered from that alone; if they had infiltrated the construction team, then where is their shuttle? Were there more of them? Is the construction team still in danger? If they were not then they must have their own space transport. Where is it now? Is it of their own design or stolen from another race that we have yet to meet?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There are still so many questions, but they will have to wait for now. I hope to find something that will end these loops soon.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Log Entry #87 - Loop #97</span>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There has to be a source to these loops. I suspect that, should it be of a 'physical' form, that it would be more along the lines of a black or worm hole. It should be impossible for a black hole to have formed in the time it took to travel from Earth -- a few years is only a blink in the eye for such things, if I'm using the term correctly -- so unless these parasites have some sort of technology that can move existing ones, then I am more interested in the prospect of worm holes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I know more theories about them than anything else, but I have checked our databases and I have found that there is a lot of material on there that I will use in my research. I haven't had a look through it yet but I have been following the route our shuttle took in the hopes that I would be able to find something; no luck yet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remus has offered to help me use the systems in Navigation, though I'm sure Patton would be a greater help; it is unlikely that he would find our company intrusive after all, and he remains the ever sunny man he had always been.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I don't know why I am expecting the others to change when I know it is only myself who experiences this loop. Perhaps my brain is looking for differences after the stagnation and sameness of it all. I do wonder if my mental health will ever recover. I don’t think there is a president for this kind of situation, even with the proof we have gathered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Would it be better to risk being labelled insane, or to keep it bottled up inside me? If I managed to end this and Remus wasn’t here, I don’t think I could bring myself to care.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Log Entry #121 - Loop #143</span>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This shouldn’t be happening. They’re dead. We won. The parasites had been flushed from this ship. Why has the loop been reset? Does the price of our lives mean nothing?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I have lost everyone so many times that I am beginning to lose count, and probably would have already had it not been for this one reprieve. This time was no different. Roman had been murdered before I had the chance to save him, but the hosts have now been ejected. It was a harsh fight and I don’t think Orange or Remus would have been able to fully recover from their wounds, but the emotional turmoil would have been the most damaging.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Losing Patton and Janus to those creatures and forcing us to make these decisions never gets any easier, but I had hoped, with the four of us left and the creatures gone, that we had done it; that we had ended the cycle. We had even gone through the entire day for once, gone to bed, I had fallen asleep, only to wake up at the beginning all over again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What is it? What do I have to do? What do I have to sacrifice to end this? Is there even an end to find? I don’t know anymore.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Log Entry #195 - Loop #223</span>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I have watched my love die too many times. It’s starting to become meaningless now, all this death. I have lived this day too many times to not know with certainty that, no matter what happens, I will wake up at the same time to the same things, where nothing has changed. Why should I be horrified at what I see if I know it will not last?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I know this is not healthy, but I don’t know how to stop it. I am adapting to the conditions I am being put through, whether I like it or not. I know that the others will notice, that they will become suspicious of me because of it, but if I try acting as I had before then it would be even more suspicious. Lying is still something that I do not think I would be able to do convincingly beyond the lies of omission.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I might turn my thoughts towards finding this worm hole I had mentioned before; I had been distracted from that avenue of investigation, but with my newfound detachment it might be easier for me to focus. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remus tells me that this isn’t healthy and that we should spend more time hugging. I can’t bring myself to complain.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Log Entry #324 - Loop #369</span>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I tried to bargain with them. They had taken Remus from me, and talking to his face knowing it wasn’t him felt wrong. I made a deal with them. I don’t know why anymore. Perhaps I had some hope that they could be reasoned with, that there was something more to them than that hatred and hunger, but now I understand that this was a lie that I was telling myself. Hope is a fickle thing, and I know I have lost it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They disposed of me once they had used me. I played the role and I was sucked dry. At least it wasn’t Remus’s face looking at me when it ended.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Log Entry #456 - Loop #508</span>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I have searched every inch of space around the Station, and much of the route that our shuttle took. I cannot see anything, but it is possible that what is affecting me is not visible with the naked eye. I wonder if this loop is not just the few hours between my waking and death, but before, perhaps days, weeks or even months before we arrived. I have no way of knowing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There has also been a lack of progress in finding any source for these aliens. Again, this lack of sources or ways to contact the previous team leaves me stuck. I will have to find another way to work without these necessities. I have a few theories, but I can’t prove anything, especially not while we’re stuck here in this Hell. Will we ever get out?</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Log Entry #548 - Loop #6--</span>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I’ve stopped telling Remus. He knows something’s wrong, I can see it in the way he looks at me, but he hasn’t pushed for answers. The guilt is wrecking me, but I can’t keep pulling him into this anymore. I love him more than life itself, and more than my sanity. I don’t want to keep watching the fear affect him anymore. It makes me sick, but I want to keep him safe in any way that I can. How long can I lie to him?</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Log Entry #557 - Loop #6--</span>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I couldn’t do it anymore. I needed him. I hadn’t realised how much he meant to me until I started to hide myself from him. It was like cutting myself off from an oxygen supply. How can people do that to themselves? Never again. I won’t do it again.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Log Entry #782</span>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>I can barely remember what happened yesterday. I can remember waking, I can remember holding Remus, making love to him and screaming his name, but then there’s a blank space. I wish I knew what had happened, but there is no one to tell me. There is no record of yesterday. Did it even happen?</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Log Entry #1062</span>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Why am I even trying? No matter what I do they all end up dead anyway. I just want it to end.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Log Entry #1254</span>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe it’s me. Maybe I’m the reason for this loop. I have to find a way to end this.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Summary: Logan continues to write notes about his experiences but things are getting gradually worse for his mental state. He has recorded over 1200 log entries by the time this chapter ends.</p>
<p>Thanks for sticking with me guys! I know this chapter was a lot shorter than normal but things are moving on for our poor Logan. I am super excited about the next chapter though!<br/>Also, happy belated birthday to our favourite Emo! 4 years with Virgil in our lives!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Day 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Travelling through space frozen like a chicken is weird, but things are about to get a whole lot weirder.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Have a change in POV!</p><p>Continued warnings of blood and gore and body horror!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Day 1</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Remus was dragged into the waking world, he realised his body felt weird. Not the good kind of weird either -- the kind where you had a deep ache inside you and your skin tingled with the aftermath of gripping fingers and biting teeth -- but an annoying one. It was like he'd been put in a tumble dryer and built up too much static because of all the jumpers, or he'd been squashed under a giant butt (and not the juicy kind) and every part of him had fallen asleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was weird.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He rolled over, trying to find someone to comfort him, but he hit something hard and, without looking or thinking about it, he climbed over it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hit the cold floor with no warning, the meat of his arm and leg having taken most of the impact, along with his elbow and knee, and he groaned in pain and annoyance. He loved bruises, how they blossomed into great puddles of browns and purples and greens and blues and yellows under the skin, but he didn't like the cold of the floor. In revenge he spread his body out over it to heat it up as he blinked at the growing brightness. What was he doing again?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you alright?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan! Of course, this was the shuttle to the Sanders Station, and he’d swapped with Virgil so he could be with his boy-toy! How could he have forgotten? He groaned in response and rolled over, pulling himself towards the other cryotube in the room, his muscles feeling tender and uncooperative. When he reached the giant metal dildo he pulled himself up until his nose poked over the edge of the tube.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan was lying in reprise, his eyes closed, like a corpse at a wake, but after a few moments of staring at his love Remus could see the lines of tension between his eyes, a stiffness to the set of his shoulders, and the hard set to his jaw.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bad dream, Ana-Logie?” he asked, reaching out to brush the hair from the man’s brow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You could say that,” his nerdy Wolverine said with a sigh as he leaned into his fingers, opening his eyes. The tension was still there, but he smiled up at Remus with a sad yet fond look. “It’s all a bit of a nightmare.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took him a few moments to realise that Logan hadn’t been shocked at all by the little switcheroo, but he pushed the thought away. For now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus frowned, wondering why his boyfriend sounded like he’d just sat through one of Roman’s boring movie marathons, only to find out there was </span>
  <em>
    <span>another</span>
  </em>
  <span> love story lined up, but worse. “Do you want to talk about it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan shook his head, still smiling. “I just… need to find the right words. Maybe over breakfast.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus’s brow furrowed even more, knowing Logan was lying, but nodded as he continued to stroke his fingers through their hair. “Alright then. I’ll be here if you need me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know you will.” Why did that sound so sad? Logan reached up and held Remus’s cheek, running his thumb over the bone under his eye. “Give me a bit and I’ll join you for breakfast.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus hummed and lay back down on the ground, staring up at the ceiling. He tried to find cracks, lines that were silent promises of doom and distraction, but there was nothing. He huffed and pushed himself up to the edge of the giant dildo and looked down on his whale penis with a pout.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I didn't get my-" he began, only to get cut off as Logan lunged from his spot to kiss him greedily. Not one to look at the mould and puss in a gift horse's mouth, Remus reciprocated in kind, holding Logan's cheek even as they pulled back, gasping for air. "Wow."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan smirked in a way that made Remus’s heart feel like it was going to disintegrate into ashes inside his chest. “I missed you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Remus said, staring at Logan for a few more moments before he pulled himself up and over the edge and onto Logan, who had started laughing, probably because Remus was kissing every inch of skin he could find and he had said that his furry nose fiend made him ticklish.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was soon a lot more skin for him to tickle, and Remus was only too happy to show Logan just how much he’d missed him in return.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they headed to the small seating area some time later (Remus didn’t really know how long they had been, nor did he really care, he just knew that he was feeling the good kind of weird now, and his body ached deliciously) after a quick stint in the refresher, Remus headed straight to the screen in the wall to prepare breakfast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logie-Bogie was still acting a bit off, so perhaps a trip down memory lane would help. The meal from their first date sounded like a good idea. He typed in the order for pesto pasta and hummed a little bit of the Jekyll and Hyde musical, wiggling a little to the silent beat as he imagined the psychotic monster wandering the streets for his next victim.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alive,” Logan said, bringing Remus’s tune to a quiet halt, “and then you’ll move on to Bring On the Men. You’ll give me a bowl of pesto pasta--” The machine in the wall dinged and a steaming bowl slipped out from the slot. “--and call me your Emma and Lucy both before spinning me in your arms and kissing me as you suggest I take you back to bed for a little longer.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus ignored the pasta and sat at Logan’s feet, taking his hands in his as his mind reeled. That was exactly what he was going to do. Probably. He didn’t know for sure, but he knew he would have sung Bring On the Men, and it did sound like something he would do. Was Logan a mind reader now? Could he see into the future? Did that mean his brain would end up overloading and exploding and end up leaking out of his nose and ears?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan smiled at him. His eyes were sad. “Then, after I tell you this, we’ll meet the others, Virgil will be having a panic attack if we’re later than seven on the dot, we’ll make a plan of action, and then we will enter the Station. Three hours later, two of us will have fatal encounters with the parasitic aliens that are waiting for us. Over the next few hours, be it through the lack of oxygen, from a reactor meltdown, our own paranoia, or being murdered by imposters in the shape of our friends and family, we’ll all be dead.” He chuckled, the laugh dead and limp in the air, and almost desperate. “What’s worse is that I don’t even remember how many times it’s happened. I tried to keep track but… I don’t even know why I’m trying anymore. I can never save you. I can’t stop the loop. You… You never remember. I…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus climbed up onto his partner’s lap and held him close, waiting for him to cry but instead finding his chest dry. Logan was just blank, staring at nothing. “Lo…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m all alone,” the man whispered. “You’re all here, but I’m so alone. I think I’m going insane. I have lived this day over and over on a constant loop with almost no reprieve, I have seen your death so much that I’m almost numb to it. I don’t want to feel nothing when I look at you. I don’t want to shut off from this, but if I don’t, then I’m going to break... I just want it to end.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my bleeding heart,” Remus murmured, rocking them both back and forth as he imagined Logan snapping, his brilliant mind shattering into a thousand pieces. Would it leave behind a shell; a husk of what had once been? Would it be a blank face, like the one he was holding to his chest, a robot still working but empty of feeling? Would Logan go in the other direction and feel too much; would he be overwhelmed by everything? That would lead to that shell-like state, but it could also mean acting irrationally, and possibly dangerously. He didn’t know enough about mental health to make any real guesses, but if any of those were to happen… He held Logan a little tighter to his chest. “What do you want me to do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan let out a stunted laugh, but there was a small smile on his face now. “Hold me. Just for a little bit longer.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d hold you ‘til the end of eternity if you asked me,” Remus said, kissing Logan on his temple.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know you would,” Logan said with a sigh, finally wrapping his arms around Remus’s back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a while they just sat there, holding each other, Remus focusing on the steady breaths of his beloved and swatting away thoughts of death and carnage and broken minds as much as he could in the silence. He started humming again after a while, not thinking about the tune until Logan chuckled, where he realised he’d continued with his rendition of Alive and moved onto Bring On the Men, just as Logan had said he would.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry,” Remus muttered, sure that the tunes weren’t helping.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s alright,” Logan replied, and he snuggled into Remus’s chest a little more. “It’s nice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmm.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good,” Remus said, brushing at Logan’s hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan leaned into the touch and Remus continued to hum, but he stopped once he reached the end of the song.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Why do you always believe me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus pulled back a little. “Why do I always believe you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan nodded, meeting his eye. “It’s a ridiculous thing, what I’m saying. Impossible by any logical count, and still you take me by my word. The first time I explained myself you tested me, but now…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus smiled softly. “Because it’s impossible, and ridiculous, and you told me about it like you were stating the facts that you found in one of your algorithms or through one of your experiments. I believe you because I know you would never lie to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Somehow, this brought on the tears, and Remus softly wiped at the trail they left on Logan’s cheeks. “But I </span>
  <em>
    <span>have</span>
  </em>
  <span> lied to you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Was it during the loop?” Remus asked. “Was it to try and protect me from being killed by a face hugger?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan sniffed. “They’re more like the creature from The Thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Was it to protect me from being killed by the Thing then?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then I forgive you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logie-Bogie’s face crumpled and he pressed it to Remus’s shoulder, where he rubbed at his back in some hopeless attempt at comfort.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... You would also never lie about something like this, so there’s that too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan let out a wet laugh. “I love you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you too, my snotty love.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They sat like that, comforting each other, for perhaps a bit too long, though Remus would have stayed there indefinitely to keep Logan happy if he had to; by the time Logan had pushed him through the rest of their morning, eating the pesto pasta despite it having gone a little cold, it had gone seven, and Emo was recovering from a panic attack with help from Prince Perfect and Daddy-kins. It was all exactly as Logan had said it would be, and when each of them headed off to where they had each decided they would be best needed with all the work they had ahead of them, Logan continued to explain the situation in a little more detail.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re saying that there are videos from past loops?” Remus asked, pulling his tablet out as Logan made quick work of the Oxygen filter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” the scientist replied, “but, for some reason, you can only access them on the screen in Communications. There are some text files that you can access though, once you’ve downloaded them from the Station.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus hummed and swiped through the screen a bit to connect before setting the tablet aside as the little man walked from one end of the screen to the other carrying digital files like a fae creature carrying a baby away from its crib in the middle of the night. “And we still have a few hours until anything really happens.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s correct,” Logan said, slotting the first of the filter boards back in before pulling out the second. “The air is breathable by the way, though I suggest you keep hold of your helmet in case the creatures decide to turn off the lights again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So lights, oxygen and reactor,” Remus said with a nod, trying to remember exactly how long it took for a body to deteriorate and decompose when it was exposed to radiation. However long it took, he was sure it would be painful, or at the very least disgusting, considering it probably involved burst blood vessels and the vomiting and so forth. Very messy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And doors.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Doors?” What did doors have to do with anything?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They can close doors too. And travel through the vents.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh.” So they could trap you in a room, isolate you, turn off the lights, and murder you while everyone else thought they were in another room. He chuckled, though there was no humour in it; how could there be when it was his Logan who was living through it. “It’s a real life horror movie.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan hummed in agreement as he continued to clean the filter. Remus watched him for a few moments more before sliding on his butt across the floor and hugging him from behind. Logan immediately relaxed into him, though their helmets made the whole process extremely awkward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is there anything I can do to help?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wish there was,” Logan said, his voice quiet, defeated. “I haven’t been able to think of anything that could prevent the death of at least two of our crew. Even when we have ejected them into space with five of us still alive and well I have awoken to the start of the day. My efforts result in nothing but disappointment.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Maybe you have to keep everyone alive," Remus suggested, watching as Logan slotted the filter back in place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's something I've considered," the scientist admitted, "but I don't see how it would change anything. Besides, no matter what I try I can never catch the parasites before they find their hosts."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus hummed, looking at the tablet to check its progress before reaching up to remove his helmet; just a minute more until he could see what Logan had recorded. He breathed in the air, which tasted stale, like bread that had been out for too long, or a freshly dusted room but the cleaner had died before they could open a window so it was still all just sitting there. He gave Logan another squeeze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How often do you take breaks?” he asked, wondering what his booger buddy would look like if his body could reflect what he’d been through. Would there be bags under his eyes? Would he be pale? Would he have lost weight, hair, strength? How many scars would he have? What would a body look like if it had been torn in two and stitched back together again?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You tend to make sure I get some sleep when I need it,” Logan replied, and Remus could hear the smirk in his voice. “You always know. I don’t know how you do it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus chuckled. “I know you too well.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Smiling, Remus rested his head against Logan’s helmet for a moment before pulling away. “So, are we going to be doing any rescuing? Any daring attempts at fighting off the hordes of hell?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not this time,” Logan said with a sigh, resting the filter in his lap. “I’m tired, Remus. I don’t think I could handle anything like that. I can’t...” His voice faded and his head drooped down. He looked defeated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... I can’t watch you die again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That… was a good reason. “I’ll stay with you then. For now at least.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan hummed and sent him a smile. “You can read my notes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” He looked at the tablet, which had finished downloading all the files. There were over a thousand of them. “I might skip a few.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t blame you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus all but cackled and opened the first document.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An hour later he was almost in tears, the content of the files more painful and horrifying than he could ever have thought. He felt the way Logan had been pulling away with each entry, fading from the world as his hope was taken over by despair, like a growing shadow reaching out and blanketing him with its slick and sticky fingers, an oil spill too thick to escape. He saw how exhausted he was from the phrasing of his words, the loss of formality and scientific data, turning this into more of a journal rather than a log book.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How could you ever think that this is your fault?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan looked up from his wiring with a puzzled expression. “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your last entry…” He held out the tablet for him to see. His sexy nerd didn’t even look, he just sighed and turned away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What else am I supposed to think?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know!” Remus exclaimed, waving his arms around and almost breaking the tablet against the wall. “That some weird black hole freak of nature just randomly did this, or maybe some eldritch horror Old One decided to have some fun just to mess with you, or that we got caught in some weird Christmas magic!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s October.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Halloween magic then! The spirits of the damned followed us out here and found some weird space creatures to haunt us with!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan sighed and gave him a fond look, but somehow his eyes looked like deep black pits of despair. Remus dropped the tablet, ignoring the way it clattered to the floor, and removed Logan’s helmet to hold his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This isn’t your fault.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wish I could believe you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With those words, it was like every spec of joy inside him had been sucked out of him, and now his body was filled with holes like swiss cheese. He was sure that if he looked down he would find blood leaking out into spots all over his suit, and still he would have been more full than what he could see of the eyes of his heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lo...” he started, rubbing his gloved thumb over a smooth cheek, wishing he could be touching him in truth, but then the moment was interrupted by a blaring alarm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan looked slowly up at the ceiling. “A meeting’s been called.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit,” Remus said, his eyes also drawn skyward (or ceiling-ward, since there was no real atmosphere, just what the Station’s system along with a nearby giant planet had provided, which made him wonder if the Imposters had ever had the thought to turn off the gravity enhancers, since that would have made travelling through the Station more difficult). “What happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Janus found Orange,” Logan replied, and he pulled himself to his feet, pulling his helmet up with him. “He’ll be dead in Storage.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit,” Remus said again, thinking of the boxes and fuel tank they had passed and imagined them splattered with wet red streaks, or a pool beneath a pile of limbs and body parts. He gathered his own helmet and tablet and scrambled after his partner, who was already heading out the door. “It’ll be Roman and Virgil again then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Logan agreed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do we do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan sighed. Again. “There’s nothing we </span>
  <em>
    <span>can</span>
  </em>
  <span> do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus made to argue, but Patton had caught up with them and  he was forced to keep himself in check, though it was like holding back a tsunami with a bucket, and the town was already flooded and filled with bloated corpses. Patton was curious about what the ‘fuss was all about’, of course, and while Remus did say that someone had died, the peppy man took it as a joke and waved him off. That is, he did until the meeting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus had seen a corpse or two before. Well, he’d seen more than just two, and even made a few thanks to his time in the military (and if he had a dollar for every person who didn’t believe him he would have been able to fund his medical training instead of having to sign up -- he’d be a millionaire for every look he got about the fact that he was a certified surgeon), but it was never easy. Sure, he liked to pretend everything was alright, being nonchalant and his usual brand of unsettling, but that body had once been alive and breathing, and now all it was doing was shitting itself and starting to decompose. It didn’t help that this was a friend rather than a nameless nobody.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They put Orange in one of the cryo pods, freezing him up like a chicken ready to be put in a microwave, though from the way Roman and Virgil were acting, there wouldn’t be a later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Had he not known, had he been focused solely on the death they had been forced to face, he would not have seen the way Virgil was decidedly not having a panic attack, far too calm for the way his anxiety would play up, and Roman swept all emotions under the rug after a minute or two, after everyone had become more occupied with other things. Well, after Janus and Patton became more occupied, that is.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan was almost listless, watching the proceedings blankly, a little pale, but otherwise drifting into a state of ghoulishness that made Remus wonder if he was going to turn around and eat one of them (but then he remembered that the ones who were likely to eat him had already killed someone, and they weren’t Logan). That left Remus to watch the pair like a hawk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no other outward sign that they had changed at all, though the personality shift would have been enough in ordinary circumstances. Subtlety wasn’t exactly his strong suit though, and he knew that the Roman Imposter had taken note. It was obvious in the way it made his brother’s body stiffen, and the twitch of those once familiar fingers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shouldn’t we sti-stick together?” Patton was saying, his voice wobbling as he kept close to the Virgil Imposter’s side (who was taking advantage of the attention by keeping a hold on his arm, ready to drag him off into a dark corner and tear him to pieces no doubt).</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What if it’s one of us?” Jany asked, looking between each of them with suspicion, which made Remus love his friend just a little more. He’d always been a suspicious asshole, but now it was working overtime, and with good reason.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How could it be?” Patton asked with a nervous laugh. “We’re all friends! We’ve known each other for years!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And yet Orange is still dead.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Patton gulped and shrunk in on himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Janus sighed, a look of guilt passing over him, but it was quickly squashed. “Maybe we don’t know each other as well as we thought.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That, or we’ve got some imposters among us,” Remus said, glaring in accusation at the thing wearing his brother as a meat suit. It frowned back at him, but he saw the flash of surprise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s ridiculous,” the Roman-suit scoffed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it?” Remus asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t we just… find out if there’s anyone else here first?” fake-Virgil suggested. “There’s a way to do that, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Only in the terms of being able to see where each of the active suits are in the Station,” Logan replied, and Remus stepped closer to his side when he realised how lifeless he sounded compared to everyone else. How broken. How suspicious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Janus narrowed his eyes at the both of them, but turned back to the conversation. “That’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> useful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is there no other way to check?” Patton asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We could look,” Roman-suit said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus snorted, hoping his boogers would shoot from his nose and hit the Roman-suit. Maybe they’d be like a caustic acid to them and burn through their skin and it would scream and die in agony. “They could also move and stalk us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Patton hugged himself, looking daunted. “Then… Then…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What if we fix everything?” fake-Virgil asked. “Would that help?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan sighed, and Remus knew from that expression that they’d already had this conversation before. “It’s possible, though unlikely.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Possible’s better than nothing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should do that then,” Roman-suit said with a decisive nod, and Remus almost scowled at him, but just barely held himself back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Split up?” he said instead, face twisting in disgust instead which was almost as good as a scowl, but not quite as good since he was regularly disgusted by his brother.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The sooner we get things done, the sooner it’ll be over,” Roman-suit said (and he really needed to think of a better name than ‘Roman-suit’).</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re acting like you’ve never watched a horror movie! And I know you have because I made you sit through one until you ran off screaming like a baby,” Remus said, pointing an accusing finger at Roman-suit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well what else would you suggest?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Boys</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus blinked in surprise as he and the Roman-thing turned to look at Patton, who was looking between them in exasperation. Wow, little pappy Patton had some lungs! How long could he hold his breath for?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man in cyan blue sighed and looked between them, then at Logan, Janus and not-Virgil in turn. “We should vote on it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Janus snorted but gave a nod. “It’s an even number…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Doesn’t matter,” Logan said and his flat tone had Remus back at his side in a second. “No matter what we choose it’ll be wrong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Logan-” Patton started, but Remus touched his beloved’s cheek and shook his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It could be different this time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This time?” he heard fake-Virgil ask behind him, but all he could focus on were the voids of Logan’s eyes, where even the despair was beginning to fade.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You always say that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus wanted something to say to that, some way to bring life back to those dying eyes, to fan the flames of passion that had once thrived there, but even had he been able to think of something he was given no chance to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His head came close to making contact with the floor as the surprise of Logan’s push almost kept him from reacting, but he managed to catch himself with his elbows. But then came the gasp, and the horrifyingly familiar sound of someone choking on blood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knew who it was -- how could he not -- and for a brief moment he let grief consume him, chewing precious pieces of him he had never let anyone see into chum and feeding it to the vicious beasts of rage that flooded the spaces that were left. He didn’t need to look to know, but he did anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan had been pierced by several sharpened tentacle-like appendages, the fleshy weapons leaving a shower of blood scattered across the wall behind the man they had so brutally murdered as the creature they had come from sneered at Remus. Logan, the man of his dreams, his bleeding heart, wheezed. Remus could see that his lungs were likely shredded, his liver punctured, intestines ready to spill out of the hole that would be left behind… No, he had to stop looking at that now. Logan was dead, even if he still breathed. There were others who needed help.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Remus…” the scientist choked, and that was all the additional motivation he needed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He all but pounced from the floor, dashing past the Roman-suit that was pinning his better half to the wall and tackled Patton, hefting him over his shoulder as fake-Virgil’s body split in two with a wet tearing noise, revealing rows upon rows of teeth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Janus!” he cried, and the man in yellow shook himself from his stupor and fled in the opposite direction. Remus hoped that he would be able to survive long enough for them to meet again, but he had other things to worry about; like the horror of a mouth that was reaching out to take a bite of him and the stiff body in his arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan choked again, the gasps his flooded longs made tempting Remus turn around, but he didn’t. He couldn’t spare time for the dying, no matter who they were.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Vir-Virgil?” Patton stuttered from his shoulder, even as Remus ran from the scene, trying to remember the rooms without vents.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An inhuman scream of rage followed them, winding through the corridors as he headed for the Oxygen room and dropped Patton unceremoniously on the ground. He could hear the imposters gaining ground on them, and he could only hope that Janus got somewhere safe before he pulled out his tablet. The screen was almost severely damaged, but he somehow managed to get the doors closed, and not a moment too soon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The entire room shuddered, equipment and all, as one of the somethings collided with the door, and Remus took an instinctive step back, spreading his arms out in a futile attempt to protect Patton.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you deadbolt the door, Pops?” he asked, gaze never leaving the door which was likely moments away from being rent asunder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” came the quiet, fearful voice of their navigator. “I… I think so.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then do it,” Remus commanded, eyes remaining on the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“O-okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus tensed further when the room shook again with another hit, but he exhaled in relief when he heard Patton tap away at his tablet. It would be useless in the end, he knew, but even a little distraction would prevent complete panic, and he couldn’t have that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then the banging stopped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus blinked in surprise, but he wouldn’t be fooled; he’d seen enough horror movies to keep himself from falling for this trick.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh brother mine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus growled. “Whatever you are, you’re not my brother.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Roman-suit chuckled through the door. “Why don’t you come out here, Dukey--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>You don’t get to use that name</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a pause, and then the room flashed red as an alarm blared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Dukey</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” the imposter cooed. “It’s time to come out now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s the reactor,” Patton said, tears evident in his voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit,” Remus muttered, eyes flying everywhere to try to find an out, and the imposter laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Re-Remus?” Patton said, and all Remus could do was stare at him as all the hope drained from him. Patton crumpled a moment later and started sobbing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Doing the only thing he could think of, Remus knelt done next to him and cradled him in his arms. As the voice counted down, he tried to pretend that it was Logan in his arms, but even the burn of the oxygen tanks exploding through him couldn’t make the lie anymore believable.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Day 2</span>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus shot up with a gasp, clutching at the shirt section of his latex jumpsuit as his fingers instinctively clutched at the edge of… his cryopod? He blinked, looked from side to side and rubbed at his eyes. He was in the cryochamber, in the shuttle. He was in the giant dildo freezer, he was alive, and…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In his rush to look over to his right he made himself dizzy and, before he knew it, he’d fallen out of his coffin with a breathless ‘oof’.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... You okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus’s breath caught in his throat, threatening to choke him, but he pulled himself closer to the second pod with a groan and pulled himself up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Logan looked up at him, slightly amused but so very exhausted, and very much alive.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So it's been a hot second since I last updated, and I can make no promises when I'll update again, but I have been, and I will probably remain, busy for a while. Hopefully the next chapter will emerge relatively quickly.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Wow, I can't believe we made it through that! It was definitely... something. I hope I didn't make you lose your lunches.</p><p>Once again PLEASE go check out fangirltothefullest if you can! They are the true inspiration to this and just for extra measure, if you need the link to the comic, please find it just under the summary!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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